A declaration to improve the environment in the Baltic Sea was signed today by minsters of all EU Baltic Sea countries at the Our Baltic conference, hosted by the European Commission. Topics conversed during this one-day event stretched over several important issue areas such as marine litter, microplastics, ghost nets, impacts of bottom trawling, sustainable … Continued
The adoption of the Lisbon Treaty in December 2007 should have resulted in a revision of the Eel Regulation, incorporating changes in decision-making procedures and Commission powers. However, a Commission proposal to do so was never agreed upon and is now being withdrawn, leaving European eel without much needed ‘new’ Commission tools and proper scrutiny … Continued
The Joint EIFAAC/ICES/GFCM Working Group on Eels is meeting online this week (21–27 September). The Working Group is currently chaired by Jan-Dag Pohlmann from the Thünen Institute, Germany. Its meeting will be followed by the ICES Advice Drafting Group on Eel (ADGEEL) on 19-20 October. This year’s ICES advice on eel is scheduled to be … Continued
The HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) is currently being revised. The existing plan already contains several targets for European eel. Improvements being discussed now are how to prioritise mitigation measures that will allow eels to pass migration barriers in Baltic rivers, and a phasing out of all recreational fisheries for eel by 2022. Coalition … Continued
The EU Commission has published their proposal on fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2021. While the Commission proposes to increase fishing opportunities for salmon in the main basin and the herring stock of the Gulf of Riga, the larger part of the stocks is proposed to decrease. For sprat, herring in the Gulf … Continued
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) updated the assessments of two of the world’s largest eel populations – European eel and Japanese eel. The new assessments show no significant improvements. Both species are on the Red List of threatened species managed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The status of … Continued
The RISE UP – Blue Call to Action is a joint call by Indigenous Peoples and Fisherfolk groups, Ocean advocacy organisations and philanthropies to governments and corporations to join and take bold action to safeguard the ocean at the next UN Ocean Conference (which has been postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic). Why … Continued
On Tuesday morning, 16 June, the Fisheries Secretariat and the Good Fish Foundation co-hosted a webinar on European eel. Over 130 people from around the EU and beyond listened to our speakers providing an update on many things eel. European eel is currently categorised as Critically Endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of … Continued
The Fisheries Secretariat (FishSec) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the protection and restoration of marine ecosystem services, with a focus on fisheries. Our long-term goal is well managed seas with rich biodiversity and thriving fish stocks to secure healthy and local seafood to consumers and a sustainable fishing sector. We advocate for fisheries working within the limits of the marine ecosystem, preserving marine resources as well as their habitats.
The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has today announced their advice for next year’s fishing possibilities in the Baltic Sea. These include the recommendation to stop all fishing for Eastern Baltic cod and Western spring spawning herring, as was the case last year.