Apparently not waiting for its government’s announced plans to create its own eco-label, Iceland’s largest seafood company has entered all its cod and haddock fisheries into Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) assessment. According to the MSC, the Icelandic Group uses five different types of fishing gear to catch 160,000 tonnes of cod and 82,000 tonnes of … Continued
Falling short of reaching agreement on Commissioner Maria Damanaki’s mandate for the upcoming bluefin tuna negotiations, and setting a TAC for the huge sprat stock – the biggest stock of the Baltic – that made the Commissioner “unhappy and very disappointed”, the EU fisheries ministers picked the October Council meeting for showing some muscle in … Continued
After dire warnings that the future of the Fraser River sockeye salmon was under threat, 34 million returned to spawn this year, making this the biggest run for over a century, according to the BBC “Newsnight” TV program. The previous year saw a paltry 1 million sockeye make the journey upstream, a collapse from an … Continued
According to residents in nine Baltic countries, overfishing is one of the main problems and a significant majority saw it as necessary for professional fishermen to take action to improve the Baltic Sea environment. The BalticSurvey, conducted by international research network BalticSTERN, interviewed 9,000 people from the nine countries bordering the sea. In the survey, … Continued
Next year’s catch quotas in the Baltic Sea and tuna management, to be dealt with at the October Council meeting on 26 October, will be the first real test of the Member States’ commitment to prioritising long-term sustainability for fish stocks in this period of preparation for the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. The … Continued
Two organisations representing more than 100,000 anglers in Sweden and Finland have written to the EU Commission voicing “deep concern” over the “greatly lowered” number of spawning wild salmon returning to their rivers this summer. The letter, from the Swedish National Sport Fishing Association, the Finnish Federation for Recreational Fishing and a regional organisation of … Continued
Speaking to the European Parliament Fisheries Committee, Commissioner Maria Damanaki presented details in next year’s CFP work programme, but also took the opportunity to come out in strong support of strengthening the EU ban on some shark fishing practices. Asserting that she aims to present a Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) reform package to be adopted … Continued
Setting an example for EU member states managing sensitive marine ecosystems, Hong Kong has taken the first steps towards a total ban on all trawl fishing. In his policy address for 2010-2011, Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang noted that “in recent years, Hong Kong’s marine environment has been affected by pollution and capture fisheries, … Continued
The Baltic network of the European Greens has issued a statement calling for NGO help in lobbying decision-makers and raising public awareness around marine issues. The Baltic Green Network published its statement on Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) Reform at a European Green Party (EGP) Council meeting in October. In order to increase public awareness of … Continued
With the decision on Baltic Sea quotas coming up at the October Council meeting, European anglers call on the Member States and the Commission to ensure more precautionary management of wild salmon stocks. Following their annual General Assembly in Helsinki on 28 August, the European Anglers Alliance has adopted a resolution on Baltic wild salmon … Continued