Iceland boosts capelin quota
The Ministry of Fisheries has decided to increase this season’s capelin quota to 299,000 tonnes, of which approximately 196,000 tonnes goes to the Icelandic fleet.
Securing Norwegian fishing interests post-Brexit
Norwegian Fisheries Minister Per Sandberg has held a meeting in London with his UK counterpart George Eustice, setting out clear requirements.
ITQs: A Road of No Return
A strongly-worded position paper published by the Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE) Platform has come out firmly against Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) as an integral component of EU fisheries policies and management, which LIFE says have a disproportionately negative impact on small scale coastal fishing communities.
Iceland sets herring and blue whiting quotas
The Icelandic Ministry of Industry and Innovation with responsibility for fisheries has mirrored Norway’s herring quota hike in setting this year’s quotas for Atlanto-Scandian herring and blue whiting.
Holding government to account on blue ling
Iceland’s National Association of Small Boat Owners (NASBO) has questioned the authorities on its management of blue ling, which was not a quota species until the 2013-14 quota year, asking why advice has been for significantly higher amounts than have been landed, while management has not been effective in rebuilding this stock.
English fishing sacrificed, says NFFO
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.
20% rule a failure
Independent fisheries scientist Jón Kristjánsson has criticised the Icelandic Marine Research Institute and its 20% catch rule.
2017 TACs and quotas agreed
The negotiations are over and the figures are coming through. Depending on who you speak to, this year’s December Council has been a triumph of common sense, or a disaster, or somewhere between the two.
Positive outcomes for Scottish fleet
The EU Fisheries Council to finalise catching opportunities for 2017 concluded early this morning in Brussels with quota increases for many key fish stocks for the Scottish fleet, reflecting the general improving trend of our fisheries.
Positive results for Spain
Spain has come out of the Agrifish negotiations with better quotas than had been expected for key species, including hake and western horse mackerel.