Minister launches discards initiative
Iceland’s Minister of Fisheries Svandís Svavarsdóttir has acceded to a request by the country’s Directorate of Fisheries to sign off funding for in-depth assessment of discard levels. The FAO has…
An evaluation of compliance with the Landing Obligation concludes that electronic systems, including CCTV, would help monitoring compliance in future. Image: EFCA
Shortfall in Landing Obligation compliance
Overall results of an evaluation carried out by the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) in co-operation with the Member States Control Expert Groups (CEGs) indicates that non-compliance with the Landing…
The House of Lords EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee has criticised the UK government for its failures in implementing and monitoring the landing obligation
House of Lords committee slams landing obligation implementation
The House of Lords EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee’s report The EU fisheries landing obligation: six months on has concluded that the UK government does not know the extent of compliance…
The House of Lords EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee has concerns that the landing obligation has been watered down
House of Lords to quiz minister on landing obligation
An inquiry last year by the House of Lords EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee concluded the UK would not be prepared to ensure compliance with the Landing Obligation as it…
UK unprepared for Landing Obligation
A report by the House of Lords has found that the UK is unprepared for the full implementation of the Landing Obligation, and found during its examination of the issue at the end of last year that there was little evidence of the LO being observed and that discarding is likely to continue.
GearingUp: interactive tool helps reduce unwanted catch
Due to be launched in December, GearingUp is designed as an interactive approach to finding ways to share information on reducing by-catches and consequently reducing discards. Led by Cefas and developed with fishermen, the Gearing Up project will give the industry straightforward access to gear trials from across northern Europe.
We’re not criminals
One of the founders of the EMK movement in Holland that has voiced the industry opinion that the landing obligation is unworkable, Dirk Kraak has been fishing for 36 years, and has been sailing as skipper for 33 of those.
Fishermen petition Brussels on discard ban
A delegation of fishermen representing the EMK (Eendracht Maakt Kracht, Strength through Unity) group opposed to the discard ban have today present a petition to Elisa Roller, Director of DG Mare, the EU department responsible for implementing the landing obligation.
Choke or crying wolf?
An assessment by Philip Taylor, campaign manager for Open Seas, and Griffin Carpenter, an economic modeller at the New Economics Foundation, concludes that fears of a choke on fishing in the UK’s hake, saithe, whiting and haddock fisheries in 2016 did not materialise.
Common-sense approach needed for discard ban
Commenting on the claim by WWF Scotland that the discard ban is being inadequately policed, SFF chief executive Bertie Armstrong commented that no-one hates discarding more than fishermen.