The sale to the Hampiðjan Group has been concluded of Canadian fishing gear supplier North Atlantic Marine Services & Supply (NAMSS). The acquisition has been made by Hampiðjan’s Canadian subsidiary Hampidjan Canada, and this significantly strengthens the company’s position on the Canadian east coast.
Norwegian fishing company Hardhaus AS has ordered an environmentally friendly new pelagic vessel with a hybrid battery propulsion system, electrical deck machinery and heat recovery.
A new Seacon-designed netter/longliner has been ordered from the Stadyard shipyard at Raudeberg in western Norway for owners Stormhav AS, based at Søroya in Finnmark. The new vessel is newbuilding no. 43 for the yard and the delivery date is October 2019.
The MSC has appointed Professor Michel Kaiser, Professor of Marine Conservation Ecology at the School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University as its new Science and Standards Director, replacing Dr David Agnew who is taking up a post with CCAMLR.
The Brexit draft guidelines that specifically cite requirement for fisheries to be included in a Free Trade Agreement have been welcomed by the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation (KFO).
There has been no shortage of fury and plenty of wild punditry over the last few days since the terms of the Brexit transitional arrangements hit the press at the weekend, with the revelation that the UK’s fishing industry can expect to remain tied to the CFP for the duration of the two-year transition period.
Clyde fishermen parted company with the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation in November last year, and have announced that the Clyde Fishermen’s Association (CFA) has instead become part of the Communities Inshore Fisheries Alliance (CIFA), which it describes as a politically neutral umbrella voice for fishing associations and fishing-related businesses.
As much as 12 million tonnes of plastic are estimated to be entering the oceans every year. Europêche members, aware of the problem, are increasingly involved in environmental schemes to help combat the growing spread of marine litter and encourage fishermen across Europe to participate in recycling and clean up initiatives.
The MSC certificate for the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (SGOSL) snow crab trap fishery in Canada has been suspended by certifier SAI Global (SAIG). The certifier concluded that based on new information including the Incident Report on 2017 right whale mortalities in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the fishery no longer meets the MSC Fishery Standard related to Endangered, Threatened and Protected species.
The European Fisheries Alliance (EUFA) welcomes the agreement in principle on a transition period announced by EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier and the UK Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis MP.