News
March 15, 2019
Swedish food industry together with WWF call for an end to illegal discarding
In a letter to the Swedish government representatives from several of the largest national food industry companies together with The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have requested that "the government must urgently take action [to end illegal discarding] and introduce CCTV/camera surveillance on board fishing vessels".
March 5, 2019
More garbage caught than cod – NGOs request the Baltic fishery is closed for six months
NGOs have written to the Commission requesting they make use of “emergency measures” legislation and close the eastern Baltic cod fishery for six months, with immediate effect, due to the “serious threat to marine biological resources”. In addition, they recommend “to move at least a portion of the sprat fishery…to maximise the availability of prey for the cod”.
January 31, 2019
Discardless: The closing science-policy conference
Fishsec has been attending the closing science-policy conference of the Discardless project, 30-31 January at DTU Aqua. Titled: Landing Obligation 2019: What have we learned, what are the next steps? The conference has been featuring many very interesting short presentations summerising the findings of a wide range of the work conducted within the project. There was … Continued
January 24, 2019
EU Commission issues formal notice to Denmark re fisheries control
In its monthly package of infringement decisions the European Commission today issued a letter of formal notice to Denmark concerning its compliance with several important provisions of the EU fisheries control rules http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-19-462_en.htm EU Commission fact sheet January infringements package: key decisions Brussels, 24 January 2019 Overview by policy area In its monthly package of … Continued
January 24, 2019
Translation: Danish Court of Auditors Report on Support to the fisheries sector from the EMFF
In October 2018 Rigrevisionen – the Danish Court of Auditors – published a report concerning the management of support from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) to the Danish Fisheries sector in the period 2014-2017. The report contains very strong criticism of the management of this EMFF funding by Danish authorities and gives many clear … Continued
January 15, 2019
20 measures for 2020
In a letter to Environment Ministers concerning the lagging implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, NGOs have highlighted 20 measures that can help to achieve the obligations the EU has committed to.
November 23, 2018
Report: The EU is not addressing fishing overcapacity as it should under the CFP
A new report from the Fisheries Secretariat shows that EU rules regarding fishing capacity are not being followed in the Baltic region. Member States have fudged their figures, obscuring which fleet segments and vessels fish on which stocks and the European Commission has not revised its guidelines in order to ensure clarity, as recommended by its own advisory committee.
November 19, 2018
No more sand dredging in The Sound
On Friday 16 November 2018, the Minister for Environment presented the Danish Parliament with details of a new Executive Order on the exploration and recovery of raw materials from the Sound, within the Danish part of the Baltic Sea. A majority in the Parliament consisting of SF, Enhedslisten, De Radikale and De Konservative are in favor of the proposal.
November 8, 2018
Scientific advice: keep impacts on eel at, or close to, zero
The International Council for Exploration of the Seas (ICES) released its latest advice on European eel on 7 November. Its advice remains consistent: “ICES advises that when the precautionary approach is applied for European eel, all anthropogenic impacts (e.g. caused by recreational and commercial fishing on all stages, hydropower, pumping stations, and pollution) that decrease production and escapement of silver eels should be reduced to – or kept as close to – zero as possible in 2019. ”
November 5, 2018
Kattegat cod – a small catastrophe
The ICES advice for cod in the Kattegat and their Baltic Fisheries Assessment Working Group report[1] have some sensational details. It is a telling example of the state the environment in European seas and EU fisheries policy.