News
October 22, 2021
Plight of European eel explained on Swedish television
This week, the recurring Swedish television programme Uppdrag Granskning – Mission: Investigate in English – highlighted the plight of the European eel and the ineffectiveness of many of the current management measures. It focused particularly on the devastating effects of hydropower installations and the costly, artificial support provided by restocking and trap-and-transport.
October 13, 2021
AGRIFISH: Some Baltic Fish Still in Crisis as the EU Starts to Consider Ecosystem Impacts
Press release from Coalition Clean Baltic, FishSec, Our Fish, Oceana, Seas at Risk and WWF Luxembourg, 12 October 2021: Following the EU AGRIFISH Council press conference today, NGOs expressed disappointment that Member State fisheries ministers again haggled all night to raise Baltic fishing limits for 2022 above the European Commission’s proposal and against the clear … Continued
October 8, 2021
New funding for European dam removal launched
Today is a good day for rivers, biodiversity and migratory fish. Together with Professor Peter Baldwin and Dr Lisbet Rausing, founders of Arcadia, the Dam Removal Europe Coalition launched an entirely new programme to fund dam removal in Europe.
September 21, 2021
A coalition for the Return of Baltic cod has been formed
The Return of the cod project, which started at the beginning of 2021, aims to compile the current knowledge and scientific research concerning the state of the Baltic cod in order to work out and implement measures to recover the eastern cod stock. The Return of the Cod (RoC) project has progressed since its onset … Continued
September 17, 2021
National monitoring programme to include genetic diversity in fish stocks
At a recent seminar in Simrishamn, Sweden, a new research programme that will investigate genetic diversity as part of environmental monitoring and ecosystem-based management, including the impact of fishing on herring sub-populations in the Baltic Sea, was announced.
August 26, 2021
Commission Baltic TAC proposal – only Riga herring doing well
Today the European Commission adopted their proposal for fishing opportunities for Baltic Fisheries 2022. The proposal mostly follows the ICES advice and proposes a TAC within the lower range for sprat and plaice considering the poor situation of the cod. For the Western herring it is suggested to close all direct fishery and a bycatch … Continued
June 29, 2021
One-third of global high seas fishing done by only 100 companies
Seafood companies rarely disclose what or where they are fishing. To provide an overview of the fishing industry in the high seas—the area beyond national jurisdiction—researchers linked fishing activity in the high seas to vessel owners and corporate actors. They identified 1,120 corporate actors for 2,482 vessels (∼2/3 of high seas fishing vessels and effort … Continued
June 29, 2021
EU fishermen call consumers to boycott seafood products from Norway
The UK departure from the EU has altered the fisheries governance and political scenario in the Northeast Atlantic. In a move to take advantage of the new situation, Norway seems to have abandoned the path of dialogue and good cooperation, unilaterally deciding to unlawfully grab EU fish quota, writes Europêche in a press release. This … Continued
June 23, 2021
Baltic salmon exemption from landing obligation extended
The Commission has adopted an Delegated Regulation extending the exemption of Baltic salmon from the discard ban (landing obligation) set out in the Common Fisheries Policy. This is a current exemption which only applies to Baltic salmon caught in certain types of traps, which expired on 31 December 2020.
June 18, 2021
Mixed box in ICES advice on Baltic fishing opportunities for 2022
The International Council of the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has released the advice for fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for next year. There is no sign of recovery for depleted populations, such as eastern Baltic cod and western spring spawning herring. Yet again, zero catch is advised for both stocks.. A substantial decline in central Baltic herring has resulted in advice to cut the quota. Some stocks are doing better, including the reassessed herring populations in the Bothnian Sea, herring in the Gulf of Riga, sprat and most flatfish populations.