At the Fisheries Council meeting on June 28, the Commission Communication concerning the consultation on fishing opportunities in 2012 was discussed. Majority of the Ministers stated that the objective of reaching the Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) level by 2015 should be assessed on a case by case basis.
To mark World Oceans Day, GLOBE, a network of international parliamentarians and legislators, held a forum in London to discuss the CFP reform. The product of which was a declaration containing 18 recommendations to ensure a radical and ambitions reform.
In the run up to the publication of the European Commission’s proposal for a reformed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) over 100 member groups of OCEAN2012 are engaging citizens across Europe in the second European Fish Week.
The annual scientific advice on Baltic Sea fish stocks provided by the International Council for Exploration of the Seas (ICES) is now available. It paints a mixed picture, with recovering cod stocks, decreasing pelagic stocks in the central Baltic Sea and salmon populations in increasing trouble.
Illegal drift net operations targeting bluefin tuna have been taken down in the Italian islands of Sicily and Ponza by undercover fisheries inspectors from Brussels, the Financial Times reports.
The 2011 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) recognized Fish Fight, an incredibly successful and political TV campaign aiming to put an end to discards, with an award in the ‘Features’ category.
“The Story of the Golden Fish”, a visually stunning street performance carried out during the 2011 European Maritime Day (EMD) on 20 May, captured the absurdity of the present European Union (EU) fisheries management and currently destructive fishing practices, and called for sustainable fisheries in a balanced ecosystem.
An article by Richard Black, Environmental Correspondent for BBC, presents the current proposals for the CFP reform. Among other things, the current draft’s center points are planned to consist of eliminating discards, encourage the use of selective fisheries, multi-annual management plans for stock recovery, and restoring fisheries to a Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) level by 2015.
Polish members of the OCEAN2012 coalition are gearing up for a street performance “The story of the Golden Fish”, which will take place on May 20th during the European Maritime Day celebrations in Gdańsk, Poland.
The upcoming CFP reform will include organisational and funding upgrades that emphasise the growing role of aquaculture, Commissioner Maria Damanaki said after the fisheries ministers’ April Council meeting.