News

April 23, 2007

FAO to develop aquaculture certification guidelines

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said Friday it is working with certification bodies, producer groups, processors and consumer organizations to draft guidelines on how aquaculture certifications should be established and applied. The guidelines will be a shared roadmap rather than certification standards of themselves, which will ensure that certifiers of farmed seafood … Continued


April 17, 2007

Still no decision on the European Eel

No decision on the proposed Regulation establishing measures for the recovery of the stock of European eel (COM(2005)472) was made at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting on 16-17 April in Luxembourg. There is still a disagreement on issues related to glass eel restocking in the regulation proposal that remains to be solved before an … Continued


March 29, 2007

Commission proposes ban on discard

On 28 March, the European Commission adopted a communication on reducing unwanted catches and eliminating discards in European fisheries. The proposed approach involves the adoption of a discard ban and the setting of standards for maximum acceptable by-catch. The idea is that this will provide an incentive for fishers to harvest only what can be … Continued


March 29, 2007

Press release from the BS RAC regarding the Conference on Control and Compliance, 28-29 March 2007

The Baltic Sea RAC concludes that the two-day conference on Control and Compliance in Copenhagen was successful, and among other things made Baltic sea Fisheries ministers commit to combat IUU fishing. All EU countries in the Baltic Sea area agree to combat illegal and unreported fishing A draft action plan for the sectors involved in … Continued


March 28, 2007

New report on IUU fishing of Baltic Sea cod

Today FISH published a report on IUU fishing of Baltic Sea cod. The report ‘A report on IUU fishing of Baltic Sea cod’ was commissioned by FISH from ORCA-EU, frollowing a study into IUU in 2005. The report is based on a review of the available literature on IUU fishing within the Baltic Sea region, … Continued


March 28, 2007

BS RAC Conference on Control and Compliance in the Baltic

A wide range of stakeholders are meeting in Copenhagen to discuss ways of dealing with illegal fishing in the Baltic Sea. The first day of the conference was set aside to discuss different perspectives on the problem, the drivers behind it, its consequences and possible steps forward. More than 140 stakeholders met in Copenhagen today … Continued


March 27, 2007

Conference on eel, European parlament 22-23 March

The Fisheries Secretariat arranged a two-day conference on the need for joint efforts to save the European eel population. The event took place in the European Parliament in Brussels on 22-23 March 2007. The aim of the conference was to inform the EU decision on management of the European eel later this Spring, as well … Continued


March 12, 2007

Nations in agreement over the need to strengthen landing control to combat IUU

FAO today reported that a large number of nations participating at the 27 FAO COFI – meeting in Rome 5 – 9 March, agreed to start working on an international protocol with the purpose of creating binding control measures in landing harbours, or harbours where fish products are redistributed or processed, in order to combat … Continued


March 12, 2007

Morocco ratifies Fisheries Partnership Agreement with the EU

Morocco ratified a Fisheries Partnership Agreement (FPA) on 6 March with the EU. The former fisheries agreement between the EU and the Kingdom of Morocco expired in 1999. The agreement which will enter into force immediately will run for a period of 4 years. The FPA provides fishing opportunities on pelagic species and small pelagic … Continued


March 7, 2007

FAO report: Serious concern over situation of high-seas fish species

Rome, 5 March. Although the proportion of the world’s marine fish stocks rated by FAO as overexploited or depleted has remained stable over the past 15 years, the status of certain highly migratory and high-seas species is cause for serious concern, a new report from the UN agency warned today. The report is presented at … Continued