News

November 28, 2014

125 NGOs urge EU Ministers to end overfishing

Over 120 organisations across the European Union are encouraging EU fisheries ministers to end most overfishing in 2015 as required by the reformed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).


November 26, 2014

New study aims to identify barriers to recovery of Baltic cod

Researchers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Science have developed a new method to get answers to why over-exploited fish populations, such as cod in the Baltic Sea, does not recover even though the fishery has declined. They do so by analyzing the pattern of growth during various life stages as a mean to see if low recovery rates may be due to lack of particular type of food.


November 14, 2014

FISH is now recruiting a Fisheries Policy Officer

We are looking to recruit a new team member to assist with our ongoing policy work. The successful candidate will take part in our work on international fisheries policy, with a focus on regionalisation and fisheries management in the Baltic Sea.


November 13, 2014

Small shrimps suspected to be discarded in Swedish waters

The Swedish Agency for Marine Water Management has reported suspected discarding of small shrimps to the Swedish Prosecution Authority.


November 11, 2014

Council agrees on deep sea TACs

The Council of Fisheries Ministers reached an agreement of fishing opportunities for deep sea stocks from. Although catches will be reduced for a number of deep sea stocks, the Council have chosen to not follow scientific advice by setting catch limits higher for 63% of the stocks.


November 5, 2014

Baltic Sea overfishing league

New briefing series by the new economics forum identifies which countries and ministers who stand in the way for moving towards more fish, profits and jobs for European citizens. The first briefing in the series explores the countries and ministers around the Baltic Sea.


October 27, 2014

Revised deep sea access regime still on the drawing table

It is now two years since the Commission released its proposal for a revised deep sea access regime (COM(2012)371) in July 2012, and progress on this file has been exceptionally slow. The European Parliament adopted its position 10 months ago and the Italian Presidency announced that it was to start drafting a proposal for a Council position over the summer.


October 23, 2014

First meeting of HELCOM group on Ecosystem-based Sustainable Fisheries

Fisheries and environmental experts and authorities from the Baltic region gathered for the first fisheries meeting after the modernisation of HELCOM. The work plan for the group was agreed upon and the group elected Marcin Rucinski as chair of the group. Main focus of the meeting was on the draft of the new HELCOM Recommendation on aquaculture.


October 22, 2014

National eel management plans too vague for proper evaluation

European Commission released its assessment of Member States plans and measures to protect the European eel. The assessments concludes that the quality of reports from EU member states is too vague for any proper evaluation to be made, pointing to that additional measures may need to be considered


October 20, 2014

Baltic discard ban plan published

European Commission have launched their proposals on discard ban plans for several fisheries in European waters, including the Baltic Sea. The content of the plan is essentially in line with what earlier been proposed by the Baltic Member States through BALTFISH, and corresponds to what the Commission previously has indicated to be included in the ban. Most regrettably the Commission has chosen not include seal damaged fish as part of fish discarded in the Baltic fisheries, and thereby potentially opening up a considerable loophole in the management.