Tanzania's Indian Ocean fisheries on the brink of depletion: minister

A Tanzanian senior government official said on Friday the country's Indian Ocean fish stocks were running dry caused by overfishing and dynamite fishing.

Turkey’s fish stock falls dramatically, extinction in sight

Turkey’s wild fish count has significantly fallen over the past 10 years by around 30 percent for a large number of fish species across Turkish waters, with at least one species of fish in danger of extinction.

Agreement over EU fishing quotas for 2015

The EU Commission had been proposing very sharp cuts to Irish quotas, including a 20% reduction in whitefish quota and a 14% reduction in prawn quotas

However, Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney said he is relieved to have delivered a much improved outcome.

Commission proposes moderate decrease in deep-sea fishing opportunities 2015-2016 to protect vulnerable species

European Commission, Press release, Brussels, 3 October 2014:

The European Commission has today proposed fishing opportunities for deep-sea fish stocks in EU and international waters in the North-East Atlantic for 2015-2016. In line with scientific advice, the Commission proposes an increase of total allowable catches (TACs) for 4 stocks, a decrease for 9 stocks, and a status quo for 5 stocks as compared to 2014. For 4 stocks, mainly deep-sea sharks, the proposal does not yet contain a figure, because scientific advice will be delivered later this month.

FISHERIES CONTROL: PORTUGAL, FRANCE, SPAIN, ITALY, LATVIA AND MALTA NOW PLAYING BY COMMON RULES

To achieve sustainable fishing, the revised rules of the Common Fisheries Policy need to be fully respected. But how can we ensure that they are in practice?

Well, by efficient and harmonised control systems.

In a spirit of subsidiarity, fisheries control means are agreed at EU level, but need to be concretely implemented on the ground by national authorities. Therefore, to guarantee a level playing field between fishermen, the European Commission checks how Member States implement their common obligations. It also provides Member States with support, where necessary, so that their control systems meet the European requirements.

Enforcing fisheries rules: Questions and answers on new Portuguese control action plan

European Commission, MEMO, Brussels, 18 September 2014:

What does this action plan seek to achieve?

Effective fisheries control is essential for the sustainability of European fisheries. This is best achieved if all fishermen in the EU play by the same rules. To that end, the Commission is working with all the Member states individually to bring their national control system up to European standards. Where general, systemic shortcomings are identified action plans are drawn up to identify steps needed to address these shortcomings.

Marine experts urge Australians to eat more sea urchins to save environment (is said to contain euphoria-causing chemicals similar to that found in cannabis)

Marine experts are urging Australians to eat more sea urchins and help the environment at the same time, local media reported on Monday.

Australian sea urchin fishermen are doing great business with the Chinese market, but researchers hope Australians can develop a taste for the seafood in order to create more demand, the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) reported.

If there was more demand, more sea urchins would be removed from sensitive reef areas where they are devouring kelp and in turn depleting lobster and abalone stocks.

Στοπ στην επιδότηση της υπεραλίευσης

Να επανεξετάσουν τις πολιτικές τους λαμβάνοντας υπόψη τις αρνητικές συνέπειες της υπεραλίευσης στους ωκεανούς κάλεσε τα κράτη μέλη της Ε.Ε. η επίτροπος Θαλάσσιας Πολιτικής και Αλιείας Μαρία Δαμανάκη.
Η Ελληνίδα επίτροπος σημείωσε ότι οι σχετικές κοινοτικές χρηματοδοτήσεις που ενίσχυαν την υπεραλίευση έχουν ήδη διακοπεί, υπογράμμισε ωστόσο ότι οι εθνικές επιδοτήσεις χωρών όπως η Ισπανία, η Γαλλία, η Βρετανία κ.ά. είναι της τάξεως του ενός δισ. ευρώ ετησίως.

BLUEFIN TUNA: THE LONG PATH OF RECOVERY

Bluefin Tuna is an emblematic species, fished and appreciated all across the globe. But when I took office four years ago, the state of the stocks was extremely alarming. We were exporting and eating more bluefin tuna than we were expected to catch!

In 2012 we managed to take action at global level: we implemented, within the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), a very strict recovery plan based on advice by scientists.

Fish more important than ever in providing jobs, feeding the world. – UN report

UN, 19 May 2014 – A new United Nations report highlights the growing role of fish and aquaculture in feeding the world and providing a source of income, and calls for the sustainable and responsible management of the so-called ‘blue world.’

Global fisheries and aquaculture production totalled 158 million tonnes in 2012 – around 10 million tonnes more than 2010 – according to the latest edition of “The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture,” produced by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Fish farmed in the EU: a healthy, fresh and local alternative

Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Brussels, 7 May 2014:

Aquaculture Event at Seafood Expo Global - 

"Ladies and Gentlemen,

I will be brief… I can see many of you are eyeing up the delicious samples on offer here and this is precisely the purpose today: showcase our "EU farmed fish"! I am delighted to be here today to highlight the benefits of eating, fresh, locally produced fish. In other words, fish farmed here in the EU. When I say "fish", I mean of course both finfish and shellfish.

Maria Damanaki: FARMED IN THE EU. -LET’S TALK ABOUT SUSTAINABLE AQUACULTURE

Eating fish has many health benefits. It is good for the heart, packed with protein and is an excellent source of nutrients. But the demand for such healthy food grows. And we cannot meet this demand by simply fishing more from our wild fish stocks.

This is why fish farming can contribute to alleviate this pressure, by increasing the offer of sustainable seafood. And also of healthy seafood:

NO EXCUSES: WE NEED TO PROTECT THE ANTARCTIC. - Only less than one percent of the world’s oceans are currently set aside as “protected”

Maria Damanaki, Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries:

"Did you know that only less than one percent of the world’s oceans are currently set aside as “protected”? Only a handful of those areas are spared human interference altogether. Today’s International Penguin Day reminds us of the need to protect Antarctic habitats before it’s too late. If we are to save the last remaining pockets of pristine ocean and the thousands of unique species living there, we need to act fast.

THEY SAY OLD HABITS DIE HARD…

From fish egg to adult fish, all species follow important stages of development. And we definitely need to respect this life cycle. Even more now that the state of the stocks is alarming in the Mediterranean.
The maths are simple: for one juvenile left in the sea today we will have a new generation tomorrow. For example, a juvenile codfish reaches 10 cm, weights 5.4 grams and has no chance to reproduce. A mature codfish of 80 cm weights in average 3.6 kilos and produces 657 eggs. And if we let these new 657 juveniles grow up to maturity, we could fish in the end up to 2400 kilos of codfish. In other words, fishing juveniles is completely illogical.

Less is More: We Need a Global Strategy to End Fishing Overcapacity

The global ocean, from the coast to the high seas, is facing multiple threats. We rely on the ocean for food, for transport, for the very air we breathe, but the current systems in place for governing and managing its resources are not fit for purpose. As a result, fish stocks are being depleted, rich biodiversity is at risk and illegal fishing vessels threaten the food security of whole nations. It is our economies that suffer -- depletion of fish stocks alone costs the global economy an estimated $50 billion per year.

The root of the problem is fishing overcapacity: too many boats chasing too few fish. Most problematic are the thousands of powerful, modern boats, equipped with high-tech tools able to find fish almost anywhere. But the more fish these boats take out, the fewer fish there are that can reproduce, and the more fishers must turn to potent tools to find them.