Europêche has welcomed as a positive step the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries adoption of a position on the European Commission proposal establishing new rules on the conservation of fishery resources and the protection of marine ecosystems (technical measures) towards regionalisation, which is hoped will bring decision-making closer to fishermen and coastal communities.
The NEACF annual meeting closed with conservation and management measures agreed for blue whiting, herring, mackerel, Irminger Sea redfish and Rockall haddock.
Less than a year after its inception, the Vigo-based innovation hub Fishing Accelerator has demonstrated the results of projects developed with Pescapuerta, Orpagu, Mascato and Opromar, using the Conxemar exhibition to showcase its work. Between them, these partners are responsible for around a hundred fishing vessels, a processing capacity of around 35,000 tonnes and approximately 110,000 tonnes of seafood sold in more than 80 countries.
The AGM of Icelandic Independent Fish Producers’ Association SFÚ (Samtök Fiskframleiðenda og Útflytjenda) ended with a resolution demanding that all exported fresh fish should pass through the auction system before leaving the country.
The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has set out the findings of its analysis of possible consequences for Danish fisheries as a result of Britains EU withdrawal, confirming that it may have negative effects on fisheries and processing.
Iceland’s Ministry of Fisheries has re-opened four areas off the north and east of the country that had been closed to seine netters since a previous government imposed restrictions in May 2010.
The European Commission has announced its proposals for North Sea and Atlantic fisheries for 2018, in advance of the December Council, with a mixed bag consisting of proposals for increases to some quotas, others unchanged and some cut back.
According to Donegal independent TD Thomas Pringle, Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Michael Creed is to sign a new Statutory Instrument introducing a penalty points system for fishing offences to replace the existing system.
ICES has published its advice for the Barents Sea capelin quota for 2018, while the initial advice for the 2017-18 capelin fishery in Icelandic waters has also been made public. ICES has also corrected an error in its herring advice, revising downwards its recommendations for both this and next year.
Dutch and Belgian fishermen have hit back at a claim by WWF and CBS (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek – Statistics Netherlands) stating that there is 30% less marine life in the North Sea, which found its way to extensive coverage in national media.