News
January 13, 2009
Study says fisheries may alter ecosystem dramatically, and for the worst
The decline in the top predator cod, mainly caused by overfishing, may have triggered a huge ecosystem shift in the Baltic Sea, a new study implies. The study by the Swedish Board of Fisheries Institute of Marine Research shows that the sea’s ecosystem, historically controlled by temperature and salinity, now sports a much bigger role … Continued
January 13, 2009
TAC’s no good, says EU Parliament
In a new report, The EU Parliament urges the Commission to reconsider the present system of TAC’s and quotas, adding that it is “insufficient to measure fishing effort in a uniform way”. The report was in response to the Commission’s communication last April on the role of the Common Fisheries Policy in implementing an ecosystem … Continued
January 7, 2009
Sweden/France to take over EU Fisheries
The Czech EU Presidency has delegated many of the fisheries issues to Sweden and France, the Union’s next and former Presidency, respectively, a Swedish daily reports. Sweden will be responsible for matters related to waters north of the English Channel and France for the areas south of the Channel, Dagens Nyheter reported, quoting the Swedish … Continued
January 5, 2009
Closing of nuclear plant good for some fish
Surveys in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant that now is closed show large and long-time variations in stock indices of various species, among them cod and eel. The surveys, performed by the Swedish Board of Fisheries with pound-nets and fyke-nets in the vicinity of the Barsebäck nuclear power plant in the Öresund area, … Continued
December 22, 2008
A Report from Hel
Polish fisheries stakeholders, reaching from environmentalists to government and industry interests, have met to bring new life to the “Partnership for the Baltic” project. A board of 15 members has crystallized from the original informal working group of some 60 scientists, NGO and fisheries representatives and local and government officials. As part of the larger … Continued
December 19, 2008
EU Ministers defy scientific advice, raise TAC’s
Acting against an ICES call for a total ban, the EU Council has allowed cod quotas for the North Sea to be raised by 30 per cent. The decision, announced on the Swedish Ministry of Agriculture website, was made as the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers were gathered in Brussels to decide next year’s Total … Continued
December 18, 2008
Council to set 2009 TAC’s
Fisheries issues will dominate as the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers meet in Brussels Thursday and Friday. The main item at the Council meeting will be 2009 catch quotas and permitted levels of fishing activities for the main commercial stocks in EU waters of the North-East Atlantic. Total Allowable Catches (TAC’s) and quotas for the … Continued
December 15, 2008
EU agrees on unique high-grading ban
As part of a fishing opportunities agreement with Norway, the EU has for the first time included a high-grading ban. The new agreement for the North Sea and the Skagerrak/Kattegat, which also includes next year’s catch quotas for cod, haddock, saithe, whiting, plaice, shrimp, herring and sprat, will be put into operation on Jan.1. The … Continued
December 10, 2008
Restricted daily catches for Swedish fishermen
A new proposal from the Swedish Board of Fisheries sets roofs for daily landings of cod, saithe and Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) along the West Coast. The proposal also includes a ban of discards, for those three species as well as some other important catches, e.g. herring, sprat and mackerel. A single vessel would be … Continued
December 9, 2008
Former UN bigwig connects illegal fishing to decline in respect for International Law
A basic condition for dealing with the problem of global illegal fishing is to “restore respect for international law”, the former UN Under-Secretary-General and Legal Counsel said at a seminar in Stockholm. Hans Corell added that, in that sense, the situation had “totally deteriorated” over the last few years. “When big nations and Security Council … Continued