Norway’s Ministry of Fisheries is examining its fisheries management regime and discussions are taking place with interest groups, with an initial meeting held last week. Further meetings are due to be held in northern, western and southern regions of Norway this summer.
Mike Mitchell, managing director of Fair Seas Limited, and Nathan de Rozarieux, managing director of Tegen Mor Fisheries Consultants Limited, have been appointed to the Seafish board and will serve three year terms. These are Ministerial appointments supported by the four fisheries administrations, who jointly sponsor Seafish.
Representatives of Iceland’s National Association of Small Boat Owners (NASBO) are watching the development of the spring lumpfish fishery as a disagreement has developed over the number of days available. NASBO had proposed that the fleet’s days should be set at 40 for this season, but found that the authorities had limited them to 32.
The European Commission has issued a notice to stakeholders that sets out the situation regarding third countries, specifically noting that the UK will become a third country as of the 30th of March 2019. The Commission statement is a reminder of the four areas for which this will have particular consequences, notably for UK seafood exports to European markets.
The Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation (KFO) has responded to the approved Brexit guidelines adopted in Brussels as a “vindication of everything we have done since June 23rd, 2016 and the culmination of an extensive programme of high-end political engagement and lobbying.” Like its EUFA colleagues, KFO has, at all times, recognised the importance of Brexit negotiations for the future of Irish fisheries.
Russia’s Federal Agency for Fisheries is making plans for the renewal of the coastal fleet, preparing mechanisms for coastal fishing’s development by providing state support for regions where investment quotas are not applicable. This applies to coastal and freshwater regions where around 75% of resources are though to be under-utilised.
The first contracts for the allocation of investment quotas, the Russian government’s mechanism designed to boost the renewal of the fishing fleet and processing sector, have been signed at a meeting of the board of the Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolvstvo), in the presence of agriculture minister Alexander Tkachev.
Scotland’s Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing has written to the UK Government expressing his concerns over transitional arrangements for fisheries following Brexit and raising questions over the UK Government’s approach to fisheries in the upcoming negotiations on the UK’s future relationship with the EU.
The Dutch Fishermen's Association is lobbying to keep space in the North Sea for fisheries. With Brexit approaching and the mushrooming plans for wind farms, Natura 2000 areas, solar panels recent proposal for a runway at sea, more and more rich fishing grounds is being taken away.
According to Seafish’s Economics of the UK Fishing Fleet estimates, British fishing saw the highest annual value of landings on record in 2017, in spite of increases in fuel costs. The Seafish report, now in its twelfth year, demonstrates that fishing revenues have risen by £14 million since 2016 to a total of £950 million and with landing volumes up by 10,000 tonnes.