Sweden’s first National Marine Park, close to the border to Norway, was inaugurated royally on September 9 by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon. An exceptionally deep (200 metres) fjord between the West Coast town of Strömstad and the Koster archipelago has created a unique ecosystem with 6,000 marine species, … Continued
In a new report, a leading marine conservation organisation has recommended that two European shark species should be listed among endangered species. Oceana supported an earlier proposal from Germany to include porbeagle and spurdog in the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The convention aims to regulate … Continued
In a speech to the Fisheries Committee of the newly elected European Parliament, Commissioner Joe Borg has come out strongly for doing away with the present quota system, to substitute it with effort management. “Replacing TACs and quotas by effort can be a very effective way of reducing the environmental impact of fisheries, and in … Continued
Considering the many shortcomings of the present CFP, a Danish Professor and EU fisheries expert told a gathering of Nordic ministers that “it’s hard not to be pessimistic” about the next Common Fisheries Policy in 2012. Revision of the CFP was high on the agenda for the summer meeting of the Nordic ministers responsible for … Continued
The number of fishermen on the Swedish West Coast has been reduced by 25 percent in just the last ten years, a new report from the Swedish Board of Fisheries shows. At the same time, the medium age of the remaining few has risen from 47 to 49. Tore Gustavsson of the Board of Fisheries, … Continued
In July, when fish consumption soars on the Polish coast, Klub Gaja organized a series of consumer targeted, awareness raising street performances titled “The history of the Golden Fish”. Also dubbed as ‘happenings’ by Klub Gaja, the theatrical street performances in three coastal towns – Miedzyzdroje, Kolobrzeg and Hel – targeted fish consumers and aimed … Continued
Walking fully in step with this spring’s scientific advice, the EU Commission proposes a 15 percent raise in the 2010 TACs for the Eastern Baltic cod and a 9 percent raise for the smaller Western stock. That recommendation was the first time in years that International Council for the Sea (ICES) experts had suggested increases … Continued
Germany emerged as best in class, while Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia were named and shamed as classroom dunces as the WWF published this year’s “Baltic Sea Scorecard”. Still graded “B” – no A’s were handed out – Germany was primarily lauded for being a leader – “by far” – in practical planning of both … Continued
In an unprecedented move, US Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke has approved a plan to ban fishing in more than a half million square kilometres of American waters in the Arctic – not because of overfishing, bur anticipating changing climate. The plan, the first of its kind, has been worked out in previously scarcely seen … Continued
The EU Commission’s main scientific advisory body has generally agreed with earlier scientific advice on next year’s Baltic catch quotas, but adds that fishing effort should be reduced for the dominant eastern cod stock. In its review of advice published in May by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), the Scientific, … Continued