In a letter to DG MARE, the EU Commissions “Fisheries Ministry”, eight environmental organisations call for taking the precautionary approach to setting catch quotas for deep-sea species in 2011 and 2012. The letter, signed by Birdlife International, the Bloom Association, the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, Pew Environment Group, Seas At Risk, the European Anglers Alliance, WWF … Continued
The solid Scottish united front against Faroese and Icelandic mackerel scavengers is showing signs of wilting, with an Aberdeen producer praising the Faroe way of managing their stocks – as opposed to the way the EU has done it. The conflict surrounding mackerel stocks that have migrated from EU to Faroe and Icelandic waters in … Continued
In a letter to Commissioner Maria Damanaki, the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation (FANC) rings the alarm on the dire situation of the Baltic salmon. Recent research has shown that spawn migration to the rivers of the Gulf of Bothnia has decreased dramatically from last year, the letter says, pointing to the fact that the … Continued
Despite what Discovery may tell you about the deadly quest for Bering Sound king crabs, statistics show that it is much more dangerous to go for sole, flounder and the terrible codfish in the Northeast. Commercial fishing is statistically the most dangerous profession in America. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a … Continued
Greenpeace Sweden claims to have documented ”systematic” ,“intensive” and “continuous” illegal fishing by Danish vessels in a protected, closed-for-fishing area of the Kattegat. From 1 January 2009 Sweden and Denmark jointly closed a part of the Kattegat for all fisheries, and enforced restrictions in three other zones. The move was an attempt to protect the … Continued
Danish scientist Poul Degnbol has been presented with the WWF Baltic Leadership Award in 2010 for his “endeavours to achieve sustainable fisheries within the frame of the EU Common Fisheries Policy”. Degnbol, who is Head of Advisory Programme at the Copenhagen-based International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), said in a press release … Continued
With a strong emphasis on area-based management, the Swedish government has published a complimentary “in-depth” response to the Commission Green Paper on a future Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Introducing what it calls “the concept of area-based management plans (ABMP)”, Sweden speaks up for “a significant step” toward achieving an ecosystem-based fisheries management. With the aim … Continued
Under pressure from concerned shareholders, one of North America’s biggest wholesale food distributors has promised to stop selling seven threatened fish species. The decision by Costco was published only weeks after Greenpeace had said a survey showed that the wholesaler/warehouse chain continued to sell fifteen of the twenty-two red listed seafood species. Meanwhile, a group … Continued
Over protests from environmentalists and the resignation of a prominent panel member, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has finalised certification of the Fraser River sockey salmon in Canada. Fraser River is the longest river in British Columbia, rising in the Rocky Mountains to reach the Pacific Ocean at Vancouver. When the 15-day public consultation period … Continued
A conciliatory mood over fisheries issues as Iceland entered memberships talks with the EU in late July was dispersed just two weeks later in a conflict over moving mackerel stocks. After Iceland and the Faeroe Islands have increased their mackerel TACs in the wake of stocks moving in from EU domains due to warming waters, … Continued