In early February, ICES conducted an online workshop on the Future of Eel Advice, looking at possibilities to improve the current advice on European eel. The 27 participants discussed different options and the feasibility of achieving them. A road map outlining the identified steps will be discussed further within ICES.
On 15 February, the glass eel monitoring project coordinated by RAVON began this year’s field work. A total of 240 volunteers are sampling glass eels at 45 locations for two evenings a week from 15 February to 30 June. On the second monitoring day, the first glass eel was captured at Den Helder. RAVON publishes … Continued
This past summer, the World Fish Migration Foundation along with its partners published the Living Planet Index report for Migratory Freshwater Fish. The findings were dramatic. Since 1970, migratory fish populations have declined by 76 % globally (for Europe, there is a 93 % decline). There is a specific section on eel, describing its complex … Continued
Rivers, lakes and wetlands are among the most biodiverse places on earth. They cover less than 1 per cent of the planet’s total surface, yet they’re home to almost a quarter of all vertebrate species – including over half of all the world’s fish species. It’s an extraordinary fact: of 35,768 known species of fish, … Continued
FishSec (Fisheries Secretariat) is starting a two-year project to aid the recovery of the collapsed cod stock in the Baltic Sea. As part of the Return of the Cod project, which is part-funded by the Postcode Foundation, FishSec will develop proposals for a rescue plan for Baltic cod, as well as analyze the potential socio-economic … Continued
Before Christmas the UK government signed a MoU with ICES that will ensure continued scientific collaboration also after the departure from the EU. ICES will continue to provide scientific advice to the government on fishing opportunities, including information on the state of marine ecosystems and the impact of human activities. The International Council of the … Continued
At the Fisheries Council last week, many big issues competed for attention and not much was heard about the Critically Endangered European eel. The Council did, however, agree on a roll-over of the current provisions for a three-month closure of all eel fisheries. Since December 2017, there has been a provision within the annual TAC … Continued
EU Common Fisheries Policy obligates member states to achieve maximum sustainable yield “by 2020 at the latest”. Still, December 17, EU fisheries ministers decided to set around one third of the Atlantic fishing quotas for 2021 managed exclusively by the EU above the sustainable limits advised by scientists. And the Mediterranean will remain the most … Continued
All EU fishing vessels have equal access to Union waters as long as they follow the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). From 1 January 2021 the CFP will no longer apply to the United Kingdom and UK waters, territorial sea and adjacent exclusive economic zone, will no longer be part of the Union waters. The European … Continued
World Trade Organization (WTO) members failed to meet the United Nations’ 2020 deadline for reaching an agreement to end harmful fisheries subsidies, when they met in Geneva 14 December. Still countries made significant progress during the negotiations – paving the way for a deal in 2021. After more than two decades of negotiations, the WTO … Continued