News
November 23, 2016
North Atlantic and North Sea TACs 2017: Policy briefing from the Fisheries Secretariat & Seas at Risk
For the upcoming December Council meeting, at which quotas will be set for over 150 stocks, we have prepared a briefing outlining our main recommendations for certain key and vulnerable stocks. The principle outlined in the reformed CFP means that Ministers must set quotas below Fmsy, where possible. Thereby ensuring a sustainable harvest whilst allowing … Continued
November 17, 2016
NGOs renew calls for greater transparency when quotas are set
In a letter to the Slovakian Presidency of the EU, NGOs have requested that the December Council meeting at which quotas are set for hundreds of Atlantic and North Sea fish stocks is live streamed and publicly accessible. Fish stocks are a public resource and it is in the public interest that decisions are taken … Continued
October 20, 2016
BALTFISH: Fisheries as part of integrated Baltic Sea marine management – what are the challenges & opportunities?
At the upcoming EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) meeting, The Fisheries Secretariat is organising a seminar to discuss BALTFISH, the regional management body established under the Flagship Project: “Regionalisation of fisheries management in the Baltic Sea” in 2010. This will be the first opportunity for a public discussion forum to meet and … Continued
October 11, 2016
2017 Baltic TACs decided
Cod overfishing will continue next year and the Baltic management plan is in tatters despite quota reductions of 56% for the western cod stock and 25% for the eastern. For sprat, the herring stocks, plaice and salmon, we welcome the decisions. They are all likely to all continue their upward trajectory and had their quotas set broadly in line with scientific advice.
October 6, 2016
Developing fisheries advice to implement the ecosystem approach
MareFrame is a project in which Ecosystem-based fisheries management solutions are to be co-developed through discussions between stakeholders, which are led by scientists. It aims to remove the barriers toward the implementation of the ecosystem approach to fisheries management. FishSec attended the latest meeting this week as a representative of the Baltic Sea Advisory Council.
September 30, 2016
Baltic Sea 2017 TACs – Briefing from the Fisheries Secretariat & Seas at Risk
In advance of the Fisheries Council meeting, 10-11 October, at which next year's fishing quotas for the Baltic Sea will be set, The Fisheries Secretariat and Seas at Risk have provided Ministers with a set of recommendations.
September 26, 2016
Environmental organisations suspend activities in Advisory Council
In response to the admission of “three fishing interest organisations” to the Other Interest Group of the South-West Waters Advisory Council (SWW AC), environmental NGOs wrote to the Commission to announce the suspension of their activities.
September 6, 2016
Quotas, Closures, and Technical Measures tabled at BALTFISH
Baltic quotas for 2017, closures for the Baltic cod fisheries, and EU technical measures filled the agenda during the first BALTFISH forum under the German Presidency.
August 24, 2016
Baltic Sea Advisory Council discusses Technical Measures, but to what effect?
At the working group meeting of the Baltic Sea Advisory Council (BSAC) in Copenhagen on 16 August, the Commission proposal, published in early March, on the Technical Measures Framework (TMF) was discussed for the first time by the Advisory Council.
August 1, 2016
Baltic Sea Advisory Council advice for 2017 quotas published
In a first, the Baltic Sea Advisory Council (BSAC) Executive Committee took the drafted advice for 2017 fishing opportunities and rewrote it after issues with the initial draft from the working group. Following many hours of discussion and negotiation, the working relationships of most members have improved through the development of this document. There seems to be a better understanding and appreciation of views in BSAC, despite disagreements, which can only be a positive development.