Marinet has written, 6th May 2013, to the President of the European Commission, Manuel Barroso, and the Fisheries Ministers of Member States to request transparency and accountability in respect of subsidy payments made to vessels in the EU fishing fleet from the European Fisheries Fund (EFF). These subsidies total over 1 billion Euros annually. Following […]
» Marine Legislation
- Marinet seeks accountability and transparency in the recording of EU fishing subsidies
- Greenpeace apprehensive and “disappointed “about EU negotiations on CFP Reform
- NFFO believes “regionalisation” is the key CFP reform agreed at Council of Ministers meeting
- EU Fisheries Ministers agree to a partial discards ban, and to quotas based on MSY but with no dates
- Irish Presidency of the EU is optimistic about agreed CFP Reform, possibly by June
- UK Marine Minister, Richard Benyon, defends his MCZ policy
- Trade in UK fishing quotas remains secret, says MP
- Prof. Callum Roberts outlines the urgent task the new Global Ocean Commission must tackle
- “Historic vote” in European Parliament to reform the CFP
- Newsletter January 2013
- Marinet launches CFP petition on Avaaz
- EU Fisheries Ministers agree CFP reforms, but are strongly criticised
- MARINET informs OSPAR Committee on shortcomings in MSFD Descriptor 3 definition
- Coastguard Closure Battle continues
- European Parliament report says CFP should create “fish stock recovery areas” covering 10-20% of the sea
- Suffolk small boat fishermen add their voice to CFP Reform
- EU Commission seeks a way to eliminate deep sea fishing
Greenpeace reports, 15th May 2013, Brussels: “Another marathon session of negotiations on the reform of EU legislation on fisheries has ended in disappointment, said Greenpeace. The ministers have been meeting in Council since Monday to revise their position on the main points of the reform before going into final negotiations with the European Parliament. Commenting […]
Please do share this
The National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO) comments, 15th May: “The agreement reached by the Council of Ministers in Brussels in the early hours of 15th May represents an important staging post on the tortuous passage to CFP reform. The agreed form of words gives the Irish Presidency a mandate to finalise negotiations with the […]
Please do share this
EU Fisheries Ministers agree to a partial discards ban, and to quotas based on MSY but with no dates
Fisheries Ministers from across Europe have come to an agreement on 14th May on a sweeping reform of fisheries policies, but fell short of the most ambitious changes that green campaigners had demanded. They agreed to ban the wasteful practice of discarding healthy fish at sea, but most of the ban will be phased in […]
Please do share this
The Irish Republic’s Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, has welcomed the commitment by Director Generals for Fisheries of EU Member States (meeting at the National Seafood Centre, Clonakilty on Tuesday 16th April) to achieve agreement on CFP reform by the end of June. The meeting, hosted by the Irish Presidency, […]
Please do share this
UK Marine Minister, Richard Benyon MP, writes in The Guardian, 8th March 2013: “Just off Beachy Head there is an area of the Channel where sea bream reproduce. This remarkable fish pairs with its mate and creates an area of seabed that it will defend for around six weeks until spawning has ceased. This is […]
Please do share this
On his website Shadow Fisheries Minister, Tom Harris MP, reports 5th March 2013: “The government agency responsible for managing Britain’s fishing stocks has publicly contradicted its own minister over the vexed question of who owns the nation’s fishing quota. “Shadow fisheries minister Tom Harris today blasted confusion at the very heart of the Department for […]
Please do share this
Prof. Callum Roberts writes in The Observer, 10th February 2013: “The oceans are changing faster today and in more ways than at any time in human history. We are the cause. Which is why I welcome the launch of the Global Ocean Commission, dedicated to ending the neglect, in international affairs, of the high seas. […]
Please do share this
The European Parliament voted on 6th February 2013 to ban the wasteful practice of throwing away healthy fish at sea in a victory for campaigners and green groups after more than two years of procedural wrangling. Campaigners in Strasbourg for the “historic” vote on the EU common fisheries policy (CFP) were jubilant. After significant opposition […]
Please do share this
Our newsletter number 42 for January 2013 is now available here.
Please do share this
John Stansfield, Marinet’s CFP campaigner, has created a petition on Avaaz to be delivered to MEPs at the Plenary session of the European Parliament on 6th February. This petition is asking for MEPs to vote in support of the Fisheries Report and the block of amendments to the Basic Regulation (law) of the CFP which are being recommended […]
Please do share this
EU Fisheries Ministers have reached a provisional deal to reshape the Common Fisheries Policy, long blamed for overfishing. The deal has been hailed by the UK environment ministry Defra but criticised by the EU fisheries commissioner and environmentalists. A EU Commission source told BBC News the new funding arrangements would continue to promote overfishing. He […]
Please do share this
MARINET, which has Observer status at OSPAR, has informed the OSPAROSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic made up of representatives of the Governments of the 15 signatory nations. Committee considering how best to define the “good environmental status” Descriptors of the EU’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) that […]
Please do share this
A new group within the framework of the National Coastguard SOS Campaign Group has been formed in Great Yarmouth to fight Shipping Minister Mike Penning’s ambition to disband Havenbridge House as part of the government plan to reduce the UK’s Coastguard stations from the current 19 down to 11. The Thames Coastguard station at Walton-on-the-Naze […]
Please do share this
A report, “Establishment of Fish Stock Recovery Areas”, for the European Parliament, published September 2012 and written by Callum Roberts and Julie Hawkins, University of York, UK, argues that the new Basic Regulation of the Common Fisheries Policy should be amended in order to establish “fish stock recovery areas” covering between 10-20% of the sea. The […]
Please do share this
The future of Suffolk’s fishing industry continues to be under threat from unfair quotas that are in urgent need of reform. Current limits on the amount of fish that boats under 10m can catch mean many fishermen are being forced to quit, it has been claimed. Places including Aldeburgh and Lowestoft have seen the number […]
Please do share this
The European Commission wants to tighten its oversight of deep-sea habitat, proposing yesterday to phase out deep-sea trawling, reduce discards of unwanted fish, and implement scientific quotas for fishing. “If you want to take deep-sea fish, you have to do it in a sustainable manner,” says Oliver Drewes, a commission spokesperson for maritime affairs and […]
