News
December 9, 2009
Seeing through our waters more clearly
Sonar scanning that is part of the so-called Census of Marine Life has been able to “see” schools of fish the size of Manhattan, the largest mass of life ever witnessed. The Census of Marine Life, due to be published in October 2010, will be the first of its kind. The €500+ million project is … Continued
December 8, 2009
WWF studies RACs, finds great deal to improve
The impartiality/neutrality of the RAC Chairmen needs to be improved, along with the structural balance between the industry and NGOs, WWF points out in a recent report on the functionings of the European Union’s seven Regional Advisory Councils. Heading towards a new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) in 2012, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) … Continued
December 8, 2009
Giant subsidies build giant fleets to go after shrinking fish
EU subsidies have enabled the Union’s tuna fishing fleets to grow to almost twice the capacity needed to catch the current quotas – to be cut drastically in 2010 – for the severely threatened species, Commissioner Joe Borg revealed in a reply to a parliamentary question. It should be noted that even those TACs are … Continued
December 3, 2009
New SARFISH briefing with focus on TACs
The third briefing from FISH/Seas At Risk to EU Fisheries Ministers and other stakeholders has been sent out to prepare for the December 14-16 Council meeting. Catch quotas for 2010 are to be set for a large number of stocks at that meeting, and the briefing focuses in detail on some of those requiring particular … Continued
December 2, 2009
More stormy weather for MSC
The MSC eco-labelling process has been the focus of renewed attacks from both scientists and environmentalists for its use of commercial consultants, paid by the industry, and a Danish similar organisation accuses MSC of “irresponsibility, bordering to swindle”. Since the London-based Marine Stewardship Council started its operations ten years ago, almost 60 fisheries have been … Continued
December 2, 2009
No building CFP on slippery ground, MEP warns
Setting socioeconomic considerations above the sustainability of fish stocks is like “building a house without caring about its foundations”, was one point made as members of the European Parliament and representatives for both NGOs and the industry, as well as scientific expertise, discussed the future CFP reform. The new EU Common Fisheries Policy is scheduled … Continued
November 27, 2009
New Fisheries Commissioner nominated
A Greek former freedom fighter and political prisoner, tortured by the Junta in the 1970s, presently a socialist member of the Greek Parliament, has been nominated as the next EU Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. Maria Damanaki, 57, has led a career not lacking in controversy: she was elected to the Greek Parliament for … Continued
November 26, 2009
Alaska tops US fishing league
With more than one third of the total worth of US catches in 2008, Alaska remained the nation’s dominating fishing state, a position held since 1975. According to statistics from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Alaskan fishermen landed harvests worth 1.7 billion dollars last year, out of 4.4 billions for the Unites States as … Continued
November 26, 2009
Not in my backyard – New port laws to deter IUU
At the recent FAO conference in Madagascar, the new international port state agreement was adopted and is now open for signatures. The “Binding International Agreement on Port State Control Measures to Combat, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing” must be ratified by twenty five states for it to enter in to force. In … Continued
November 26, 2009
Baltic 21 has only seconds to go
As of 1 January 2010, the Baltic 21 inter-state organisation will become formally integrated into a similar network grouping, the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), and its secretariat will be incorporated into that of the CBSS. Baltic 21 was initiated by the prime ministers of the Baltic Sea countries in 1996 as a … Continued