Yesterday, a hearing on the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region took place. Stakeholders, mainly from the Swedish civil service, met to review the two years since the strategy was initiated under the Swedish EU Presidency, and discuss what the future holds.
On November 23, Ministers of Fisheries in Sweden, Denmark and Norway signed a joint declaration to end the discarding of dead fish in the Skagerrack. The agreement will come into force on 1 January 2013 at the latest.
On November 22, Seas At Risk (SAR) organised a seminar ‘Making the CFP work for Low Impact Fisheries’ at the European Parliament in Brussels. The meeting took place just before the official SAR launch of their new report on how to integrate Low Impact Fisheries (LIF) into the new Common Fishery Policy (CFP).
Yesterday, the European Commission filed a case against Poland for failure to introduce a strategy for the protection of the Baltic Sea, as part of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).
Despite earlier recommendations by the Budget and Development Committees in the European Parliament to reject the extension of the EU- Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement, the vote in the Fisheries Committee (PECH) today approved the extension.
Shipowner, Manuel Antonio Vidal Pego of Ribeira, Spain, was condemned by the Provincial Court of Las Palmas in Gran Canaria for fraud as a result of illegal fisheries within the convention area for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, and concealing this fact—for economic benefit—during a significant trade transaction with a representative of Coast Line Marine Services LTD. The illegal fishing activity has been spotted by the Australian authorities.
World Fisheries Day, 21 November, is celebrated around the world by fishing communities and a myriad of other stakeholders such as environmental groups and policy makers. In the European Union, the Common Fisheries Policy is undergoing am important reform, and today should serve as an additional wake-up call to ensure, and push for, a transition towards sustainability in fisheries so we can continue enjoying this resource in the future. Here are some interesting fish facts to inspire further reflection.
Yesterday, the organisation fishsubsidy.org published their report “Eyes Wide Shut” on the allocation and mismanagement of subsidies from the EU Fisheries Fund (EFF) since 2007.
On 14 November, the EU Fisheries Council focused on discussions and exchange of viewpoints on the Commission’s proposal for the External Dimension of the Common fisheries Policy (CFP). Originally, Atlantic and North Sea total allowable catches (TACs) were supposed to be decided on—as per Commission’s suggestion—but in the end, the Council decided that all TACs will be set in December.
On 14 November the EU Fisheries Council will meet in Brussels to exchange views on the External dimension as as part of the negotiations of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. The discussion will focus on three main themes: