The anti-pulse trawl lobby peaked this week in Brussels with a campaign ahead of the crucial vote on a new regulation for the conservation of fishery resources that will take place on 16 January 2018. Europêche, which represents European fishing associations, believes that this is the umpteenth attempt to demonise an innovative fishing method.
Russia’s fishing industry produced close to 4.80 million tonnes in 2017, 2% up on the previous year, and the best year’s fishing for a quarter of a century.
A small group of pelagic longline fishing vessel owners will take a six-month voluntary break, but will continue to fish with alternative gear, improving populations and supporting supply chains as NOAA and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation kicked off 2018 with the second round of the Oceanic Fish Restoration Project.
The European Commission has adopted a recommendation that aims at obtaining authorisation from the Council to open negotiations for the conclusion of a new fisheries protocol between the European Union and Morocco. The current four-year protocol to the Fisheries Partnership Agreement will expire on 14 July 2018.
In his summary of the preliminary figures for 2017, the head of the Russian Fisheries Agency Ilya Shestakov said that 68 applications had been received during the year for investment quotas; 34 for new fishing vessels and a further 34 for shore-based production facilities.
According to Europêche, ministers adopted a better-balanced Regulation in light of the socio-economic data provided by Member States at this year’s December Council following a highly conservationist set of proposals for 2018. Some stocks are subject to top-ups to adapt to the forthcoming landing obligation, but this does not solve the problems of choke species in mixed fisheries.
South-West FPO chief executive Jim Portus said that this year’s December Council had turned out to be one of the longer ones, resulting in a mixed bag for South-West and Channel fishermen containing both good fortune and despair.
The outcomes of this year’s December Council in Brussels bring mixed fortunes for Cornish fishermen, according to CFPO chief executive Paul Trebilcock.
There’s a positive vibe from Scottish government, which states that an additional £44 million worth of fishing opportunities will be available to the Scottish fishing industry in the wake of this year’s December Council, part of an overall £44 million package that includes the outcomes of deals with the Faroes and Norway.
The Shetland Fishermen’s Association has hit out at the deal struck at this week’s December Council, stating that while there are some positive outcomes for whitefish, the same does not apply to the pelagic sector.