Responding to the first EU moves to lock Icelandic fishermen out from Union ports over the mackerel conflict, Iceland angrily accused the EU and Norway of “overfishing” the disputed stock. Pressing for an understanding of his country’s view, Iceland’s chief mackerel negotiator Tomas H. Heidar pointed out that out of the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) … Continued
The Swedish Board of Fisheries has decided on new tough measures to protect the waning eel, including a total fishing ban along the west coast in 2012, and increased minimum length in the Baltic Sea and freshwater areas. A study published recently by the agency found that eel removal from Swedish waters had gone down … Continued
Worth almost 600 million euros, and with 70 percent of businesses involved saying that they want to grow “sustainably” over the next five years, Scotland’s salmon farming industry is seeing no recession about. Announcing that the sector had created 234 new jobs in 2010, the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation (SSPO) said that was good news … Continued
Just a week after crucial talks on mackerel quotas broke down, EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki has taken the first step in blocking Icelandic fishing vessels from landing catches in Union ports. According to the British Daily Mail newspaper, Maria Damanaki has made a formal request to the European Economic Area (EEA) to meet before … Continued
Moves by powerful forces to circumvent the European Union’s ban on eel exports to third nations, particularly the Asian market which offers exorbitant prices, have been finally averted – for at least a year. Just days before the glass eel fishing season was to begin on 1 November, the EU Commission issued a “clarification” establishing … Continued
Actresses Magdalena Rózczka and Julia Pietrucha, along with chef Robert Maklowicz, will join Klub Gaja as celebrity ambassadors in this year’s “Carp is still alive” campaign to stop pre-Christmas cruelty to this popular holiday treat in Poland. “Carp is still alive” is one of the oldest consumer targeted campaigns of Klub Gaja, an environmental organization … Continued
To put work on fisheries issues in perspective in Poland, and to learn from other examples, FISH organised a December Best Practice Workshop “Hitting the wall: how to affect public opinion on adversarial issues” at the Sea Fisheries Institute (MIR) in Gdynia, Poland. The workshop was attended by 23 people, representing 17 Polish NGO groups. … Continued
Talks on quota distribution between the EU, Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands have broken down completely this month, and some now see a “mackerel war” brewing. The talks aimed at securing a joint total catch level for mackerel in the north Atlantic have come to a screeching halt in December, resulting in great frustration … Continued
A recent legal briefing on the UK quota distribution system, where allotment rights can be handed over to Fish Producer Organisations, shows that the arrangement is open to judicial challenge. The UK has 12 percent of the EU’s landings and one of the largest exclusive economic zones (EEZs) in the EU. For much of the … Continued
While environmentalists to various degrees greeted Wednesday’s Council decision on TACs for most EU fish stocks with thumbs determinedly down, governments and sector lobbyists scrambled to claim success. “The UK has secured an agreement to a complete review of the controversial cod recovery plan for 2011, including current days at sea restrictions”, reported British Fisheries … Continued