The World Trade Organization’s director-general said she was hopeful a fisheries subsidies agreement would be ratified this year by the required number of members, despite the disappointment of not finalising the deal at a recently concluded ministerial conference.
Environmentalists say knocking out billions of dollars in subsidies that promote unsustainable fishing is the single most important thing countries can do to help reverse declining stocks.
The fisheries agreement, aimed at removing $22 billion in harmful subsidies supporting illegal fishing, has seen significant support from member countries.
So far, 71 WTO members have formally accepted the agreement and 39 more formal acceptances are needed to reach the two-thirds of the membership threshold for it to come into effect.
Okonjo-Iweala addressed concerns raised by India and South Africa about the proposed Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement, which seeks to simplify red tape, improve investment climate and encourage foreign direct investment.
Both countries filed formal objections against the IFD Agreement, agreed by 127 members, which was put forward by Chile and South Korea, with strong backing from China.[...]
A representation of Mediterranean fishermen has met in Brussels with the Fisheries Commission requesting that illegal transshipments of fish not be allowed. These fishermen recall that the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) adopted three multi-annual management plans in 2022, supported by robust inspection systems, and imposed catch limits with a planned reduction of 3% until 2050. These measures are part of broader EU action against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, reinforced in 2023 with an increase in joint control and inspection activities.
The fundamental need for full cooperation and transparency between EU members to ensure the correct quantity of catches and prevent illegal transhipments at sea was also highlighted.
Surveillance on social networks is now part of the responsibilities of fisheries inspectors
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment of the Balearic Government, through the General Directorate of Fisheries, has begun a campaign that expands inspections to detect illegal fishing, including surveillance on social networks as part of the usual responsibilities of the fisheries inspectors with the aim of combating and preventing said practice. So far, four cases of serious infringements have been registered, which could lead to fines of up to 30,000 euros.
Source: Industrias Pesqueras l Read the full article here
Separate reports from the Corporate Accountability Lab, the Associated Press, and the Outlaw Ocean Project published on 20 March have painted a grim portrait of India’s shrimp industry.
The report from the Corporate Accountability Lab (CAL), a nongovernmental organization dedicated to addressing “the failure of domestic and international legal regimes to hold companies accountable for abuses in their global supply chains,” presents evidence of forced labor, child labor, and environmental problems in India’s shrimp sector. Author: Cliff White / SeafoodSource i Read the full article here
The Russian Government’s decision to end a decades old fisheries agreement which allowed the United Kingdom access to fish in the Barents Sea will come into effect as of tomorrow.
On 11 March 2024, Russian President, Vladmir Putin, signed into law Federal Law No. 40-FZ on denunciation of the fisheries agreement with the United Kingdom. The law will come into force in ten days after its publication, which is 21 March 2024.
Source: The Fishing Daily l Read the full article here
Reports of illegal trading of ‘production fish’ persist, says the Norwegian Food Safety Authority as it prepares to escalate enforcement actions in light of increasing European dissatisfaction with the matter.
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority is intensifying its enforcement efforts against individuals and businesses involved in the illegal export of ‘production fish’ abroad.
In a press release on Wednesday, Inge Erlend Næsset, the department director for regulations and control at the authority, emphasized the seriousness of the violation and stated that the authority is prepared to stronger measures against offenders.
Source: SalmonBusiness l Read the full article here
The Greek fish farming company Avramar, producer of Sea Bass, Dorada and Corvina, received a joint offer for its acquisition by Spanish and Arab funds, which it accepted, as did its creditor banks, as Kathimerini understands.
Despite its significant problems, Avramar still plays a leading role in Greek and, more broadly, Mediterranean fish farming.
The proposal comes from the Spanish fund Atitlán, headed by Roberto Centeno, son-in-law of the owner of the largest Spanish supermarket chain, Mercadona, and ADQ, an Abu Dhabi investment company.
It should be noted that Mubadala, one of Avramar's two largest shareholders today, is also an Abu Dhabi investment company.
The Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery goes on two-hour notice Today March 20 at 8 a.m. That means a fishery could be opened at any time by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game with two hours' notice to commercial fishermen.
This year, the guideline harvest level for the fishery is the highest in history at 81,000 tons – 20% of the department’s forecast for the mature herring population, also known as biomass. However, a limited market and lower industry participation means the commercial fishery won’t meet the guideline harvest level. Last year, the fishery harvested around 11,000 tons, just one-third of what the state allowed.
According to a Fish and Game press release, one test set conducted on Monday afternoon in the Mountain Point area yielded fish weighing 149 grams on average with just over nine percent mature roe. ADF&G conducted aerial surveys over the weekend, and while they observed no spawn, herring were spotted on March 16 near Low Island.
ADF&G’s research vessel, the Kestrel, will arrive in Sitka on March 20.
Aquaculture is a new, but rapidly growing industry in Alaska. That’s according to a recent report from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) on the state of Alaska’s water-based farming.
James Currie is an Alaska Sea Grant fellow who authored the February report. He said it’s meant to provide an approachable overview for curious non-experts.
James Currie is an Alaska Sea Grant State Fellow working with NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Alaska Region Aquaculture Program in Juneau
“So there have been steady increases over preceding years in our production of oysters and seaweed,”Currie said. “And it’s a really exciting time for the aquaculture industry overall, just in terms of we’re receiving more applications on average year by year.”
Finfish farming is illegal in Alaska, so the primary species grown are shellfish like oysters or various types of kelp. The total pounds of seaweed harvested has ballooned in recent years, going from just over 18,000 in 2017 to nearly 900,000 in 2022.
But along with the excitement around the growing industry, Currie said there are a few notable challenges — what he called “fundamental bottlenecks.” Most of those involve a headache shared by many Alaska entrepreneurs: logistics.[...]
Renowned specialists linked to the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) and the Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research (NOFIMA) were the speakers of the “Conecta Executive” seminar, which the company held last Monday morning for clients and specials guests in Frutillar.
On Monday, March 18, Salmofood, as a Vitapro brand, held a new Conecta Executive seminar at the Teatro del Lago in Frutillar, where various topics related to the role of nutrition in efficient salmonid production were addressed.
The seminar was attended by Torbjørn Åsgård, Phd Scientist, CEO, Senior Adviser Åsgård Aqua Advice; Trine Ytrestyøl, Phd Senior Scientist at the Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research (NOFIMA), and Turid Mørkøre, Phd Senior Scientist at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), institutions with which Salmofood has developed intense collaborative work during the last 30 years, especially in terms of research and development of diets.
The day was opened by Torbjørn Åsgård, considered one of the fathers of salmon nutrition in Norway, with the talk “The right feed for the right fish for the right management”.[...]
Clipfish challenges in Brazil: Port bureaucracy stops millions worth Brazil
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Bra...
Catches in the Sea of Okhotsk and Bering Sea Russia Fed.
Situational update as of 03/24/2024
Source: Stockfile FIS
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According to OSM data in the Sea of Okhotsk, pollock catch (industrial and coastal fisheries) as of March 24, 20...
Productive Development of the Fishing Activity Peru
Fishing Sector Bulletin - January 2024
The landing of hydrobiological resources registered a negative interannual variation of 62.7%, as a result of the lower landing of fishing resources for indirec...
NGO Sues UK Government Over International Fishing Quotas United Kingdom
Blue Marine Foundation, a charity dedicated to restoring the ocean to health, has launched legal proceedings over the government’s decision to set fishing opportunities, for more than half UK st...
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