Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed has launched the Strategy for the Irish Inshore Fisheries Sector 2019-2023 on behalf of the National Inshore Fisheries Forum. The Strategy is designed to frame the work of the Inshore Fisheries Forums over the next number of years and represents the first time the inshore fisheries sector has developed its own sector-specific plan.
With only a few weeks to go and the terms of the UK’s departure from the European Union still very unclear, NFFO chief executive Barrie Deas said that fishing has a higher profile than it has had for years.
Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, has met Irish fishing industry representatives in the National Seafood Centre, Clonakilty to discuss the state of play on Brexit and possible serious impacts facing the sector.
On behalf of the South African government, Minister Senzeni Zokwana has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with his Namibian counterpart, Minister Bernard Essau. This represents an agreement between the two neighbouring countries to work together in various matters concerning fisheries as the two countries share a common border.
The 2018 Employment in the UK Fishing Fleet report has been published by Seafish, presenting data on the nationality, gender, age, qualification, work pattern and ways of paying workers in the UK catching sector on board and onshore.
At a meeting held in Agadir this week, Russia and Morocco have agreed terms for fisheries and co-operation for 2019, with an increase in the Russian fleet’s quotas for horse mackerel, anchovy, sardine and sardinella in Moroccan waters up by 10,500 tonnes to 140,000 tonnes.
European fishing industry body Europêche is taking steps to highlight the importance of the fisheries sector as a major food source, the basis of the livelihoods of millions of people and a driver for sustainable growth, ahead of European Parliament elections in May 2019.
Norwegian naval architect Skipsteknisk has been awarded the design contract for Ireland’s new fishery and oceanographic research vessel. The Marine Institute in Galway intends to replace the 21-year-old Celtic Voyager with a new and larger vessel.
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.
The European Parliament, Council and Commission have put in place a new technical measures regulation governing the conservation of fishery resources and the protection of marine ecosystems. The new legislation has been welcomed by Europêche, in particular the regionalisation aspect which is expected to bring simplification and decision-making closer to fishermen and coastal communities.