In a comprehensive maritime policy bill, to be introduced to the Riksdag by March 17, the Swedish Government has proposed the establishment of a new agency responsible for the marine environment as a whole. The policy bill, which also included measures against eutrophication and coordinated efforts in the fields of fisheries, agriculture and shipping, said … Continued
Current management plans and practises for responsible fisheries should be expanded to take into consideration climate change, the FAO said in its annual “State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture” (SOFIA) report. “Best practices that are already on the books but not always implemented offer clear, established tools towards making fisheries more resilient to climate change,” … Continued
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) eco-labelling organisation has moved its Asia-Pacific headquarters from Sydney to Tokyo. The background of the strategic decision was the growing interest in the region for participation in the MSC programme. Japan is the second largest seafood producer and consumer market in the world. Several Japanese fisheries are engaged at different … Continued
Carla Montesi has been appointed new Director for the Mediterranean and the Black Sea in the Maritime affairs and fisheries department of the European Commission (DG MARE). Ms. Montesi, an Italian, is presently Head of Unit in charge of Regional Programmes and Neighbourhood at EuropeAid.
The Greenpeace organisation plans to prevent bottom trawling in two Natura 2000 areas in the Kattegat between Sweden and Denmark by placing out stone boulders. Although the practice needs no licence, according to Greenpeace, the organisation has notified authorities, including the Swedish Ministry of the Environment. The notification included an environmental impact assessment, and Greenpeace … Continued
The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation (FANC) has proposed restrictions for fish nets to save the critically endangered Saimen seal. The Saimen seal is a fresh water subspecies of the Ringed seal, its occurrence restricted to the mythical Lake Saimen in Eastern Finland. There are only 260 individuals left, and the population is declining, fishing … Continued
A 30,000 dollar first prize will lure fishers and environmentalists alike to the fourth annual WWF Smart Gear Competition. The mail box for entries, preferably electronic, will be closed on June 30. The competition, designed to inspire innovative ideas for fishing devices that reduce bycatch, is open to entrants from any profession, “including fishermen, professional … Continued
A controversial decision last December to raise quotas for cod in the North Sea has lead to mixed messages from the German government. Defying scientific advice pointing to a moratorium, the EU Council decided to raise quotas by 30 per cent, referring to a cod recovery plan adopted earlier in the fall. Since the International … Continued
In a highly critical report last November, Sweden’s Auditor General described her government’s support to the fishing industry as all but totally inefficient. Overcapacity in the fishing fleet is a major problem in professional fisheries, and a reduction of this fleet is decisive for reaching the goal of long-term sustainable fisheries, she wrote while presenting … Continued
A report by two researchers at the Stockholm University-based Stockholm Resilience Centre, now available in English, describes how increasingly complex chains of trade in fisheries products provide for increasingly questionable practices The report, titled “Roving Bandits in Modern Fisheries“ studies the trade in what it now terms a truly global commodity. The same goes for … Continued