25 Aug 2024
A deep dive into stock assessments of fisheries around the world has revealed their sustainability is overstated – and it has implications for fisheries management and consumer awareness. Many fish stocks around the world are either threatened by overfishing or have already collapsed. One of the main reasons for this devastating trend is that policymakers […]
20 Aug 2024
Over half of UK seafood consumers now recognise the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) ecolabel, reflecting a growing awareness of sustainable fishing. A recent survey found 54% of fish and seafood buyers had seen the blue MSC ecolabel, up from 51% in 2022 and 44% in 2016. Understanding of the ecolabel has also improved, with 39% […]
13 Aug 2024
Preliminary data exploration by ICES working group on the Ecosystem Effects of Fishing Activities (WGECO) offers an initial attempt to explore how fishing protection zones could be designed in the future. Recently, concerns over European fisheries have often centred on the impact of fishing displacement due to increasing competition for marine space, driven by, for […]
06 Aug 2024
A Private Members Bill to regulate and limit bottom trawling in MPAs, introduced by Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick, has had its first reading in the House of Lords. As currently drafted it states that the regulations must prohibit bottom trawling in MPAs. These are defined as including Marine Conservation Zones, Nature Conservation Marine Protected Areas, […]
06 Aug 2024
Hopes for closure on a fair deal to stop governments bankrolling overfishing flopped yet again at the recent General Council meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva. Scheduled decision-making sessions aimed at closing the second half of a legally binding treaty to curb harmful fisheries subsidies were downgraded to a discussion at the […]
06 Aug 2024
Legislation came into force in June 2024 enabling UK fisheries administrations to launch permitting regimes for the recreational angling of Bluefin Tuna in their waters. Permits have now been issued to 89 vessels to recreationally target Bluefin Tuna using rod and line, on a catch and release basis, following a resurgence of the species in […]
30 Jul 2024
The European Commission launched infringement proceedings against five EU Member States for failure to control and enforce the landing obligation – notably against France, Spain (INF_21_4681), the Netherlands, Belgium and Ireland (INF_21_5342) noting that there is a need to help ensure the end of the “extensive, illegal and undocumented discarding of catches in several sea […]
30 Jul 2024
Landings of wrasse species from the wild have been rapidly increasing, due to their usefulness as cleaner fish in salmon aquaculture facilities. Image: Goldsinny wrasse – Ctenolabrus rupestris. Credit seawater.no In May 2021, following calls from the Sustainable Inshore Fisheries Trust (SIFT) and other stakeholders to strengthen the voluntary wrasse fishery management measures, […]
Prev