In a letter to the Swedish government representatives from several of the largest national food industry companies together with The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have requested that “the government must urgently take action [to end illegal discarding] and introduce CCTV/camera surveillance on board fishing vessels”.
NGOs have written to the Commission requesting they make use of “emergency measures” legislation and close the eastern Baltic cod fishery for six months, with immediate effect, due to the “serious threat to marine biological resources”. In addition, they recommend “to move at least a portion of the sprat fishery…to maximise the availability of prey for the cod”.
Fishsec has been attending the closing science-policy conference of the Discardless project, 30-31 January at DTU Aqua. Titled: Landing Obligation 2019: What have we learned, what are the next steps? The conference has been featuring many very interesting short presentations summerising the findings of a wide range of the work conducted within the project. There was … Continued
In its monthly package of infringement decisions the European Commission today issued a letter of formal notice to Denmark concerning its compliance with several important provisions of the EU fisheries control rules http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-19-462_en.htm EU Commission fact sheet January infringements package: key decisions Brussels, 24 January 2019 Overview by policy area In its monthly package of … Continued
In October 2018 Rigrevisionen – the Danish Court of Auditors – published a report concerning the management of support from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) to the Danish Fisheries sector in the period 2014-2017. The report contains very strong criticism of the management of this EMFF funding by Danish authorities and gives many clear … Continued
In a letter to Environment Ministers concerning the lagging implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, NGOs have highlighted 20 measures that can help to achieve the obligations the EU has committed to.
A new report from the Fisheries Secretariat shows that EU rules regarding fishing capacity are not being followed in the Baltic region. Member States have fudged their figures, obscuring which fleet segments and vessels fish on which stocks and the European Commission has not revised its guidelines in order to ensure clarity, as recommended by its own advisory committee.
On Friday 16 November 2018, the Minister for Environment presented the Danish Parliament with details of a new Executive Order on the exploration and recovery of raw materials from the Sound, within the Danish part of the Baltic Sea. A majority in the Parliament consisting of SF, Enhedslisten, De Radikale and De Konservative are in favor of the proposal.
The International Council for Exploration of the Seas (ICES) released its latest advice on European eel on 7 November. Its advice remains consistent: “ICES advises that when the precautionary approach is applied for European eel, all anthropogenic impacts (e.g. caused by recreational and commercial fishing on all stages, hydropower, pumping stations, and pollution) that decrease production and escapement of silver eels should be reduced to – or kept as close to – zero as possible in 2019. ”
The ICES advice for cod in the Kattegat and their Baltic Fisheries Assessment Working Group report[1] have some sensational details. It is a telling example of the state the environment in European seas and EU fisheries policy.