News
September 22, 2010
COM proposes new controversial deal with Morocco
Despite earlier claims from European Parliament legal experts that the present contract is in conflict with international law, the Commission has adopted a draft for a new agri-food and fisheries agreement with Morocco with no mention of the controversial issue of occupied Western Sahara. Western Sahara, originally a Spanish colony, has been occupied by Morocco … Continued
September 22, 2010
SciFi salmon may invade US homes
A genetically engineered salmon, termed “Frankenfish” by critics of the project, has passed the first step on the way to becoming the first GE animal approved for American dinner tables. The AquAdvantage salmon is developed in a way that transcends the fantasies of any SciFi writer: genetic material from Chinook (the largest Pacific salmon) and … Continued
September 15, 2010
“Good news” – and bad, as COM presents 2011 Baltic TAC proposal
Publishing its proposal for next year’s Baltic TACs, the EU Commission followed ICES go-ahead to raise quotas for both cod stocks, while it even went under ICES recommendations for both the Central and the Bothnian Sea/Bothnian Bay herring. The Commission proposal, however, suggested higher catch quotas than the International Council for the Exploration of the … Continued
September 15, 2010
Petition handed over to Commissioner Damanaki
On Monday 13 September, members of OCEAN2012 handed over a petition signed by 28,500 people to Commissioner Damanaki, asking her to “put environment first for people’s sake” in the upcoming CFP reform. Over 60 representatives of OCEAN2012 from 15 Member States met the Commissioner outside the Commission building in Brussels to hand over the signatures. … Continued
September 14, 2010
Anglers ring bell on Fenno-Norwegian river salmon
Worrying about the ”alarmingly weakened” salmon stock in the Tana River, a border between Finland and Norway, the European Anglers Alliance (EAA) calls for both shortened fishing season and a catch limit. In a resolution adopted at the EEA General Assembly meeting in Helsinki in late August, the organisation claims that the current regulations in … Continued
September 9, 2010
UK, Holland, Germany go TAC for TAC
Following a wide-ranging set of quota swaps with other nations, the British sole fishery in the North Sea has reopened after an almost two-month close-down. The buy and sell procedure, overseen by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), a UK cross-department government agency, included: With Holland: UK acquired 60 tonnes of North Sea sole in exchange … Continued
September 9, 2010
Big salmon escape a deadly threat in Scotland
A British game fish association has warned that “genetic spill” from fish farms is threatening with collapse the whole salmon fishing industry in Scotland. Paul Knight, chief executive of The Salmon and Trout Association, told members of the Scottish Parliament that fish that escape from Norwegian-owned farms have had a “massive contributory factor” in the … Continued
September 8, 2010
Many saying it loud and clear
28,500 people have signed a call for greater sustainability in fisheries that will be handed to Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki as she meets an OCEAN2012 delegation on 13 September. The petition, launched at the European Fish Week in June, called for environmental sustainability being a top priority in the new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), to … Continued
September 8, 2010
COM asking for input on biodiversity, Atlantic sea basin
A new consultation – involving all sorts of stakeholders – on a post-2010 biodiversity policy for the European Union has started, to be concluded on 22 October. The new consultation, following a “first round” in June, includes sub-targets in six areas: agriculture and forestry fisheries nature protection green infrastructure invasive species the EU’s contribution to … Continued
September 8, 2010
New Treaty can work either way, lawyers find
A study from a group of legal experts finds it “crucial” how the shared competence between the EU and its member states implied in the new Lisbon Treaty is sorted out in practice. ClientEarth, a London-based group of activist lawyers committed to environmental issues, notes that while the “old” community treaty did not explicitly mention … Continued