Past Events

Our planet's health is inextricably linked to the well-being of marine ecosystems, which, in turn, are crucial for the livelihoods of communities depending on them. Among the various elements comprising the marine environment, seabed habitats play an indispensable role for nature and food supply. In order to harvest seafood from the bottom of the sea, fishers use a wide range of fishing gears carefully adapted to each fishery and area. Mobile bottom fishing remains widespread in EU waters delivering 25% of total European seafood landings. The EU has experienced a generalized recovery of demersal fish stocks due to the widespread reduction of fishing effort and the continued improvement of fishing techniques. Nonetheless, as part of the European Commission's action plan, active bottom fishing gears are branded as "the most damaging activity to the seabed", calling into question its use and sustainability, particularly in Natura 2000 sites and other Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). At the same time, 70 % of seafood consumed in Europe is imported and there is a need to produce more seafood products to feed the growing population in line with climate change requirements. This event will explore the key scientific research on bottom trawling sustainability and compatibility with Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). It will also look at the trade-offs between the environmental impact of fisheries and seafood security / self-sufficiency. The event will bring together leading scientists on seabed habitats and bottom fishing, along with representatives from the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) and the Directorate-General for Environment (DG Environment), key stakeholders from the fishing sector and civil society. Panelists will articulate their unique perspectives on the optimal way to strike a balance between the priorities of environmental preservation, social well-being, economic prosperity, and the production of food resources. This event aims to foster a comprehensive dialogue and facilitate the formulation of sustainable policies that can address bottom fishing practices in European waters. DRAFT AGENDA 15:15 – 15:25:             Opening remarks by MEP Niclas Herbst   15:25 – 15:55:             First panel discussion:

• Dr. Michel J. Kaiser, Professor of Fisheries Conservation, Heriot Watt University
• Dr. Jan Geert Hiddink, Professor in marine ecology, Bangor University
• Dr. Hans Polet, Scientific Director, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO)

  15:55 – 16:25:             Second panel discussion:

• Representative from the European Commission (DG ENV) (tbc)
• Vera Coelho, Deputy Vice President for Europe, Oceana (tbc)
• Iván López, Chair, European Bottom Fisheries Alliance (EBFA)

16:25 – 16:45:             Reactions from Members of the European Parliament (4’ per speaker):

• MEP Isabel Carvalhais (tbc)
• MEP Bert-Jan Ruissen (tbc)
• MEP Asger Christensen (tbc)
• MEP Pietro Bartolo (tbc)
•  MEP Grace O’Sullivan (tbc)

  16:45 – 16:55:             Q&As with the audience  16:55 – 17:00:             Closing remarks by MEP Niclas Herbst

On this page you will soon find all the information related to this meeting:

• agenda highlights (a week before the meeting date)
• main results (after the meeting)
• press material
• photos, videos and live streaming
• related documentation

Updated content will be added in the run-up to as well as during and after the meeting.

Links:

• https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/agrifish/2023/11/20-21/

Online press briefing on the upcoming decisions on 2024 catch limits Why overfishing is unlawful and exacerbates the climate crisis Monday 20 November 13:00-14:00 CET Interpretation will be available in French and Spanish   Northeast Atlantic countries will decide this Autumn on fishing limits for 2024. Contrary to legally binding management objectives, overfishing persists in European waters and numerous fish stocks have collapsed or are at risk of it. However, overfishing not only contributes to the depletion of fish populations, it also undermines the crucial role of fish in the marine ecosystem, including the ocean biological carbon pump, and so exacerbates the climate crisis. Speakers:

• Javier Lopez, Oceana - Cod in crisis and other fish stocks on the brink of collapse
• Rémi Cossetti, Seas at Risk - The Ocean-Climate nexus: overfishing impacts on climate change
• Arthur Meeus, ClientEarth - See you in court! - legal action against overfishing in the EU

Register: via Zoom here Contact: Emily Fairless, Oceana communications officer, +32 478 038 490, efairless@oceana.org NOTE: If you would like to send your questions in advance, please email Emily Fairless

Links:

• Register here

To celebrate #DeepDay 2023, the DSCC is hosting “Beneath the Waves: The Deep Sea, Climate Change and COP28”. This webinar aims to foster a deeper understanding of the deep sea’s critical role in climate regulation and mitigation, and the threats it faces. By bringing together experts and stakeholders, we hope to inspire action and cooperation to protect this unique and invaluable ecosystem. Join us in this enlightening discussion as we embark on the road to COP28 to ensure a sustainable and resilient future for our planet.

Links:

• Information and registration

  The Baltic herring has received increasing attention in Sweden over the past few years. Coastal fishers report alarmingly low levels of herring in areas such as the Stockholm archipelago. Last year an iconic producer of fermented herring (surströmming) closed down due to the lack of large herring in the Gulf of Bothnia. Three of the four stocks of Baltic herring are in seriously weakened condition. They have declined or stagnated over the past 20 years. Based on the scientific advice, the European Commission proposed a closure of targeted fishing on them for 2024. But the Gulf of Riga herring appears to be in much better shape. This stock has increased during the past 20 years. The Commission proposed a continuation of targeted fisheries there, albeit at a 20% lower level in 2024 than the Council of Ministers approved for 2023 (which was a result of the new perception of the stock status after the recent benchmark assessment). In the event, in its decision October 24th, the Council cut the quotas for the Bothnian herring by 31%, the central Baltic herring by 43% and the Gulf of Riga herring by 17%, in all cases lower cuts than those proposed by the Commission. Why is the Gulf of Riga herring in better shape than the herring in the rest of the Baltic? Is it management or the environment – or both? Are there any lessons to be learned for management of other stocks? What are the future prospects? Those are some of the questions we will be asking at the next Baltic Breakfast. To find out more about the management and condition of this herring stock we have invited two researchers who have studied and written about the Gulf of Riga herring.  

Speakers:

Ivars Putnis, Researcher at the Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment (BIOR) in Latvia Olavi Kaljuste, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Analyst at the Department of Aquatic Resources; Population analysis, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU-Aqua). Moderator: Charles Berkow, Policy Analyst, Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre  

Practical information

The seminar will be held on Wednesday 15 November 2023, 8:30 – 9:15 am, at Scandic Klara, Slöjdgatan 7 in Stockholm. Breakfast will be served from 8:00 am. Physical participation requires registration before 13 November. Register for physical participation The seminar will also be livestreamed at this webpage and at su.se/balticseacentre/balticbreakfast. Please do not register if you intend to follow the seminar digitally. The seminar will be recorded and can be watched afterwards at this same webpage.  

About Baltic Breakfast

Baltic Breakfast is a series of short breakfast seminars/webinars organised by Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre. Their aim is to present the latest knowledge about issues of central importance to the Baltic Sea environment. The webinars are addressed to people in different sectors working for a sustainable development in the Baltic Sea region and everyone interested in environmental issues of the Baltic Sea. Most Baltic Breakfasts are held in Swedish, but sometimes they are targeted at an international audience and held in English. If you want to get invitations to the upcoming webinars or subscribe to our monthly newsletters, click here.

Links:

• More infromation and love stream

Together, let's explore how businesses can promote transparency and drive change in the maritime sector. You will discover various tools and strategies that companies can adopt to ensure they are not inadvertently supporting Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, and learn why adopting these tools are essential as a risk-mitigation approach for businesses.   The webinar co-organised by Oceana, Global Fishing Watch, the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance and TMT will happen on November 14, 2023 from 4:00 PM CET to 5:30 PM CET on Teams. Our expert speakers represent diverse sectors, including maritime insurance and risk screening. Meet our speakers: Eleanor Partridge, Senior Analyst, TMT Kim Jefferies, Special Adviser Loss Prevention, Gard Kirsti-Leigh Styer, Team Leader Maritime & Specialist Sanctions Research, LSEG Tom Bishop, Underwriter - Hull & War, British Marine Moderator: Vera Coehlo, Deputy Vice President for Europe, Oceana  

Links:

• Event page and registration

The annual Havs- och vattenforum which is usually held in Gothenburg in May will not be held this year. Instead, the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM /HaV) and Formas will hold a larger conference in November 2023 with a focus on the marine environmental monitoring of the future (more information is to come).      

Links:

• HaV forum

The 46th session of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) - 13th session of the Committee on Administration and Finance (CAF) is held 6-10 November in Split, Croatia.

Links:

• Meeting information & registration

Time: Usually around 12.00 CET Moved from 24/10

Links:

• ICES latest advice
• ICES meeting details