EU member states are not fulfilling their obligations to report on the reduction of fleet overcapacity in fisheries, and the Commission is not doing enough to enforce those obligations, a recent study shows. The evaluation by the independent Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), for the Pew Environment group, is based on the 2007 member … Continued
A study commissioned by the EU Commission shows that the financial impact on exports from developing nations to the Union from stricter IUU control will be very light indeed – a 0.26 percent price increase. The study, conducted by consultants Megapesca Lda from Portugal and Oceanic Développement from France, analyses in depth the impacts in … Continued
In an unusual move, the Swedish WWF Secretary-General, the president of the Swedish Fishermen’s Federation and the country’s Minister of Fisheries have published a joint letter calling for “regionalisation” of EU decision-making. Referring to Sweden’s four-day old role as EU President, Lasse Gustavson of the WWF, Henrik Svenberg of the SFR, and Agriculture and Fisheries … Continued
A new report from the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SNF) compares bottom trawling to “cutting down the forest in order to hunt for deer”. The report, a compilation of earlier scientific studies, described the negative environmental effects of the practice, both for marine eco-systems and for the environment as a whole: trawling is one … Continued
Although not yet premiered in movie houses, Greenpeace arranged a private pre-screening at this years’ Almedalen Week for an audience of political and government decision-makers. Almedalen is on the island of Gotland, suitably right in the middle of the recently threatened but now hopefully recovering East Baltic cod stock. “The End of the Line – … Continued
During a conference in the UK on 30 June, a lot of support emerged for a substantial change in the way decisions are made under the Common Fisheries Policy. About 60 people met during a conference in London to discuss the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. A range of speakers had been asked to … Continued
The Baltic cod and eel has had enough, they’re mad as hell, and they’re not going to take it anymore in a “science theatre” piece premiered among thousands of politicians, lobbyists and media pundits at the 2009 Almedalen week on the island of Gotland. Taken hostage through deep sea trawling, the audience is brought down … Continued
After two years’ hard work, two NGOs have been able to obtain figures that show that almost half of all EU subsidies to fisheries have gone to one nation – Spain – and that tens of millions of Euros by en large have been spent subsidising vessels and practices worsening illegal fishing, increasing EU fleet … Continued
Decisions from a conference in 2006 arranged by DG MARE, the EU Commission’s office for fisheries and other maritime issues, included the setting up a website on energy efficiency in fisheries. That website is now operative. The aim to of the website is to spread information on that topic and share experiences relating to it. … Continued
Dismissing the current EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) as ”a fiasco, according to many”, a gathering of Nordic politicians has said that their own “working” solutions could set an example for the next CFP. The Environment and Natural Resources Committee of the Nordic Council, a cooperation between Sweden, Denmark and Finland and EU non-members but … Continued