News
April 24, 2009
“Shall” becomes “may” as MPs vote on Control
In a plenary vote, The European Parliament has adopted the Fisheries Committee’s consultative report on the Control Regulation proposed by the Commission. No changes were made, meaning that amendments to strengthen that report proposed by the rapporteur, as well as amendments proposed by MPs to weaken it, were rejected. As for the hotly contested Article … Continued
April 23, 2009
Green Paper reactions
Wednesday’s publication of the EU Commission Green Paper on Union fisheries met with mixed reactions from Swedish and international environmental organisations. “A ban of destructive fishing methods like bottom trawling, and a huge commitment to marine protected areas that include fishing bans, would be an important solution towards achieving sustainable fisheries, and to make Europe … Continued
April 22, 2009
Green Paper identifies weaknesses and suggests much-needed changes
The Green Paper published today contains some wide-ranging, very positive suggestions for how to improve management of EU fisheries, while other areas are touched upon without enough detail to judge effectiveness, concludes Niki Sporrong, Director of the Fisheries Secretariat. At noon today, the European Commission published its Green Paper on Reform of the Common Fisheries … Continued
April 8, 2009
Commission sets out to lift EU aquaculture
Complaining that although ”our aquaculture industry leads the world in research and technological development” production has levelled off in the Union, the European Commission has published a communication to address that state of affairs and “give fresh impetus to sustainable growth to the EU’s aquaculture sector”. “Aquaculture has a bright future ahead of it in … Continued
April 8, 2009
Holland’s eel plan unenthusiastically received
A Dutch NGO says it is ”deeply disappointed” with its government’s recently approved national management plan for eel, and doubts that it will be “accepted in Brussels”. Compared to an earlier draft, a two-month fishing closure has been scrapped in the final plan. The remaining main measure to meet the EU goal of a 40 … Continued
April 8, 2009
Fried and Certified cod offered to Swedish shoppers
The Swedish KRAV eco-labelling organisation has launched a campaign in western Sweden to raise awareness among consumers about sustainably produced seafood. Starting with pickled herring in 2006, the KRAV certification now embraces more than 80 seafood products, including the “Kalles Kaviar”, somewhat of a national icon produced by the Abba food concern, the blue mussel … Continued
April 8, 2009
A fish named Colin
A British supermarket chain has renamed Pollack (Pollachius pollachius), because customers are too embarrassed to ask for it by its given name, the Daily Telegraph reports. The new name launched by the Sainbury’s giant is “Colin”. Colin is the French name for hake, a similar fish, much more popular there than in Great Britain. Hoping … Continued
April 7, 2009
More Power to the RACs, Parliament says
Actual management of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) should be progressively devolved to the Regional Advisory Councils (RACs), the European Parliament Fisheries Committee says in a new report. The report on governance within the CFP, adopted 15-0 by the committee, recognises that the Commission’s evaluation of the RACs last year was a positive one, but … Continued
April 7, 2009
Increased fish migration on the Internet
A Dutch ecologist/water consult, Herman Wanningen, has started an Internet group on the fish migration theme, with the intention “to bring people and knowledge together” The group consists of scientists, water- and river managers, consultants, engineers and ecologists, and more than 80 experts have joined the group so far, he says. The site will hopefully … Continued
April 2, 2009
Swedish DNA research pinpoints European eel
Determining whether even processed eel is from European or other, less threatened, stock will be possible after scientists at the Swedish Museum of Natural History have found the unique mitochondrial DNA of the Anguilla anguilla (European eel). The trade with European eel, listed and protected by the UN threatened species convention, is restricted, and a … Continued