Heavy penalties for Western Australia’s rule breakers
Fisheries officers in Western Australia have been busy in the days leading up to Christmas this year, focusing on illegal catches of abalone and rock lobster.
Fisheries officers in Western Australia have been busy in the days leading up to Christmas this year, focusing on illegal catches of abalone and rock lobster.
The organisation representing the majority of English, Welsh and Northern Ireland fishermen, the NFFO, has launched a scathing attack on fisheries minister George Eustice following his decision to transfer 1500 tonnes of quota from the Humberside PO to Scotland.
Independent fisheries scientist Jón Kristjánsson has criticised the Icelandic Marine Research Institute and its 20% catch rule.
Cherbourg fishing company owner Sophie Leroy-Le Barbenchon has been made a knight of the Order of Maritime Merit at a ceremony held in the port’s fish auction. It’s a rare honour, and a female recipient is even rarer, but she is not someone who has ever been far from salt water.
Europêche, the representative body of the EU fishing sector has expressed its frustration at the decision taken by the College of Commissioners recognising that, following a ‘fitness check,’ the European Birds and Habitats Directives remain relevant and fit for purpose.
Britain’s House of Lords European Union Committee has published a report outlining what it has identified as the risks and opportunities of Brexit for the UK fishing industry.
At its General Assembly held this week, Europêche confirmed the mandate of its President, Javier Garat, for another two years. This is alongside his role as Secretary General of Spanish Fishing Confederation CEPESCA.
Spain has come out of the Agrifish negotiations with better quotas than had been expected for key species, including hake and western horse mackerel.
In the early hours of Wednesday, after two days of intensive negotiations, the Fisheries Council has reached agreement over fishing opportunities for 2017 based on the stated aim of achieving maximum sustainable yields by 2017 where possible, and by 2020 at the latest, while taking into consideration duly justified socio-economic factors.
The failure of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission to address the problem of northern bluefin has come in for extensive criticism both inside the industry itself and from NGOs.