A German-registered, Spanish-based fishing vessel’s skipper, Ángel Ares Esteban, has been fined €14,000 for illegal fishing activities in waters off Donegal.

The case, heard at Donegal Circuit Court by Judge John Aylmer, revealed that Esteban had violated EU regulations limiting fishing gear soak times to 72 hours. This restriction, mandated under Regulation (EU) 1241/2019, SI 520/2019, and Section 14 of the Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006, is crucial for minimizing potential environmental impacts.

Esteban was absent from court proceedings but faced charges for exceeding the legally permitted soak time—the duration nets are left in the water—while fishing for monkfish and whitefish. The vessel, F/V 'Pesorsa Dos', a 27-meter-long boat employing static tangle nets, had its soak times significantly surpass the 72-hour limit.

Officers from the Irish Naval Service, aboard the LÉ William Butler Yeats, carried out a routine inspection on July 16, 2020, and discovered the violations. Following detections of non-compliance, the Pesorsa Dos was escorted to Killybegs and detained for further investigation.

A sea fisheries officer based in Killybegs testified that the vessel had deployed approximately 2,000 tangle nets, which can each span up to 10 kilometers in length. The total combined length of nets on board exceeded 100 kilometers, with five of these nets forming the basis of the prosecution.

HALIFAX — Fishers raised questions today about how federal enforcement officers will cope if a proposal to increase the number of people licensed to net baby eels in the Maritimes goes ahead next year.

The concerns emerged during a meeting held by the federal Fisheries Department at which current licence holders heatedly suggested the federal minister hadn't thought through the proposed changes.

The Fisheries Department is proposing to redistribute about 28 per cent of the allowable catch of 9,960 kilograms from nine commercial licence holders -- creating about 150 new commercial licence holders -- and providing half of the total catch to First Nations fishers.

Under the proposed pilot project allocation, the federal department is offering licences to 120 fishers currently employed by commercial licence holders, representing 27 per cent of the overall quota. A further 1.5 per cent would be allocated to licences offered to 30 fishers who currently catch adult eels.

Federal fisheries officials said under the pilot project the goal would be to have the "one licence holder per river approach," on the roughly 123 rivers where elvers are fished.

Source: Canadian Press

In November 2024, South Korea imported 5,699 tons of seafood from Norway, representing a 7% increase compared to 5,337 tons in the same period in 2023.

However, the cumulative imports from January to November 2024 fell by 5% to 60,556 tons, down from 63,870 tons in the previous year. Norwegian seafood accounted for approximately 7% of the total seafood imports of 814,815 tons.

Import Volumes by Product

Click on the image to enlarge

The import value of Norwegian seafood in November 2024 reached USD 42.79 million, up 6% from USD 40.46 million in the same month of 2023. However, the cumulative import value decreased by 4%, totaling USD 479.91 million compared to USD 500.81 million in the previous year. The average import price rose slightly to USD 7.93/kg, a 1% increase from USD 7.84/kg in 2023.

Source: Union Forsea Corp.

The third edition of Aquafuture Spain, which will be held from May 20 to 22, 2025 at the Ifevi exhibition centre in Vigo, Galicia, has achieved a significant milestone by reaching the figure of 200 exhibitors from 27 countries, exceeding initial expectation, organisers said.

The number of exhibitors is 33% higher than at the first two editions, an objective that organisers set when in 2023 they decided to move the venue from Santiago de Compostela to Vigo and turn it into a biennial event.

Source: fishfarmingexpert l Read the full article here

Recognising that aquaculture is becoming increasingly vital for food security, employment and economic development in the Mediterranean and Black Sea region and that the sector has experienced strong growth in recent years, the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has outlined a shared vision for the delivery of a sustainable industry.

Representatives from over 30 countries recently gathered in Heraklion, Greece, for the largest regional aquaculture conference in the region. Titled “Shaping the future of aquaculture in the Mediterranean and Black Sea Region”

Source: Worldfishing l Read the full article here