News
November 7, 2024
Mediterranean region agrees long-term measures for eel but fails to include glass eel ban
Since 2018, the GFCM has been on the forefront of European eel management and conservation, taking steps going further than those adopted by the European Union, but today we must express some disappointment with the long-term measures adopted, considering the status of the population and the zero catch advice.
November 1, 2024
Management of European eel not at all in line with zero catch advice
European eel remains critically endangered with recruitment under 10 % of historical levels. ICES published its scientific advice on fishing opportunities and conservation for European eel for 2025 today. As in previous years, the advise is zero catch for for all life stages, all uses and in all habitats. The conservation advice is to reduce other human-related mortalities to zero and restore habitats.
October 22, 2024
Short-sighted decision by EU fisheries ministers pushes Baltic Sea ecosystem closer to collapse
PRESS RELEASE from: Seas At Risk, FishSec, Coalition Clean Baltic, WWF Baltic Sea Programme, Deutsche Umwelthilfe and Suomen Luonnonsuojeluliitto (Finnish Association for Nature Conservation) Short-sighted decision by EU fisheries ministers pushes Baltic Sea ecosystem closer to collapse The Agriculture and Fisheries Council decided today on Baltic Sea fishing opportunities for 2025. In a move that … Continued
October 16, 2024
A Baltic Sea in crisis: Why EU ministers must apply a precautionary approach to fishing opportunities this time
The Baltic Sea is in crisis. Several fish populations have collapsed and others are in steep decline. The most recent scientific advice on fishing opportunities paints a sobering picture of the state of forage fish populations like Baltic herring and sprat in the Baltic Sea. Current fishing limits, although some have been reduced in recent years, will not … Continued
October 7, 2024
Ocean Week in Brussels: A pivotal moment for Europe’s seas
Last week, Ocean Week took centre stage in Brussels, bringing together policy makers, environmental organisations and ocean advocates to discuss the urgent steps needed to protect and restore Europe’s seas. A series of debates, exhibitions and events highlighted the growing pressures on our oceans and explored how the EU can lead efforts to rebuild marine abundance in a way that also supports a just transition to low impact fisheries.
October 7, 2024
EU Court of Justice upholds annulment of EU-Morocco fisheries agreement
European Court of Justice has ruled the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement invalid, citing the lack of consent from the people of the Western Sahara - a disputed territory - saying that future agreements must give equal weight to the rights of local residents and sustainable resource management.
September 26, 2024
Baltic Coast Dialog: First workshop on marine and coastal restoration
The "Blue Restoration" workshop centered on opportunities to restore the Baltic coastal and marine ecosystems. Over two days, the meeting offered both inspiring presentations and constructive dialogue among the participants.
September 25, 2024
PECH rejects attempt to remove safeguards in management plans
FishSec welcomes the European Parliament's fisheries committee (PECH) vote on 23 September, that rejected the Commission's proposal to remove safeguards for fish populations under a number of fisheries management plans (MAPs). The proposal was met with strong opposition from environmental NGOs, emphasising the need to fully implement the fish stock safeguards in order to protect vulnerable fish populations as upcoming negotiations on EU fishing limits approach.
June 18, 2024
Joint NGO recommendations on Baltic Sea fishing opportunities for 2025
The decline of fish populations in the Baltic Sea ecosystem has been extensively documented and analyzed by now. This decline has been ongoing for decades but has intensified in recent years, with some fish populations collapsing or being on the verge of collapse. The latest ICES assessment again shows that populations of commercially harvested stocks are … Continued
June 4, 2024
Mediterranean long-term management measures for European eel discussed this week
Since 2018, the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) has been at the forefront of European eel management. However, the current GFCM measures adopted in 2023 are still far from aligned with the scientific advice and are unlikely to secure eel recovery. The long-term management measures that the GFCM is set to adopt in … Continued