In a recent message to the public celebrating the world day of peace on 1 January 2008, Pope Benedict XVI calls for environmental consciousness. Can the Vatican’s interest in sustainable development lead to better management of European fish stocks? In his public message released on 8 December on the Vatican website, among other things Pope … Continued
Yesterday, in a protest against the failures of the Fisheries Council, Greenpeace blocked the entrance of the EU building where the EU ministers of agriculture and fisheries were to have their two-day meeting negotiating 2008 fishing quotas in EU waters, the Baltic Sea excepted. Greenpeace activists built a 30 meter long and 2.5 meters high … Continued
Unless action is taken, the cod in the Kattegat will vanish completely, according to the Marine Laboratory in Lysekil, Sweden. Multiple surveys performed by the laboratory during this year have not discovered any new cod recruits. According to a study previously conducted by the Swedish Board of Fisheries, the Kattegat cod stock is in its … Continued
After the October elections, a coalition government is now in power in Poland. Contrary to the previous leaders, the new government will promote a better relationship with the EU. For example, closer collaboration on environmental issues, such as the designation of Natura 2000 areas, renewable energy sources and water management initiatives, can be expected. Following … Continued
Unreliable catch data, inspections of limited effectiveness, systems for following up infringements and imposing sanctions that are often inappropriate, in a context of overcapacity jeopardising compliance with the rules, are identified as the causes of the failure of the Common Fisheries Policy to maintain the sustainable exploitation of living aquatic resources. The report concludes that, … Continued
Yesterday, the European Commission published its proposals for EU fishing opportunities in 2008. The proposal provides grim reading for sector representatives and reflects the general state of EU fish stocks, with around 80 per cent being overfished. EU fish stocks in a poor state EU fish stocks are among the most poorly managed in the … Continued
Yesterday, a group of Polish fishermen staged another protest in Brussels against the European Commission ban of their cod fishing in the eastern Baltic Sea. The previous Polish Government tried to negotiate with the Commission in order to lift the ban, but finally agreed at the Council meeting in October to obey and implement an … Continued
On 26 October Radek Gawlik of the Polish environmental NGO Eko Unia, gathered stakeholders to discuss the Polish Operational Programme (OP) for the fisheries sector, which specifies how Poland will spend its allocated funding from the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) for the period of 2007-2013. The meeting which was held on the Baltic coast in … Continued
On November 15, a Baltic Sea Action Plan to improve the environmental status of the Baltic Sea was finally adopted at a HELCOM ministerial meeting in Krakow, Poland. Despite progress in some areas, such as eutrophication, the plan is judged by many to be a failure. In 2005, the environmental situation in the Baltic Sea … Continued
On 25 October, the BS RAC met to discuss the situation of the Baltic cod fishery and the recent closures. The meeting resulted in a statement on the issue of non-compliance, highlighting the need for rapid action, as well as a more harmonised and harsher system for punishing those that break the law. The Baltic … Continued