The UK Government (Defra) consultation on the “balance of competence” between the EU and UK with respect to fisheries management has just closed for public submissions of evidence. The purpose of the consultation has been to seek opinion so as to arrive at an assessment of the balance of advantages and disadvantages between the UK’s […]
» Fisheries
- “Neither EU nor UK has displayed competence in fisheries management” says Marinet
- Can the new reformed CFP protect fish stocks?
- New report on the definition of “maximum sustainable yield” in fisheries
- UK Fisheries Minister is reported to be contesting ICES fisheries advice
- Defra study says 2% of the population are recreational sea anglers
- George Monbiot questions the ethics of Seafish which represents the UK fishing industry
- Dredging Impact on Fish Stocks
- Will the discards ban be enough to rebuild EU fish stocks?
- New Antarctic marine reserve thwarted by Russian and Chinese fishing interests
- Defra has a new Minister for fisheries, and initiates a public consultation on the EU’s impact on fisheries
- European Parliament provides advice on what was agreed in the recent EMFF vote
- Ocean2012 takes a positive view of the European Parliament’s fishing subsidies (EMFF) vote
- Yachtsman describes the Pacific Ocean as “dead”
- Independent professional panel says health of oceans is “declining fast”
- Collective rights “offer hope for global fisheries” says scientist at ICES conference
- EU proposal for ban on deep sea trawling makes uncertain progress
- MEP defends delay on vote for deep sea fishing ban
- Conflicting views on whether NE Atlantic fish stocks are recovering
- What real CFP Reform means, and must achieve : Marinet Statement
- World ‘has used up 2013 resources’
We publish here the introduction to a discussion initiated by the journalist, Karl Mathiesen, in The Guardian on 17th December 2013, along with a link to the comments that this discussion generated online, concerning the question whether the reformed Common Fisheries Policy is capable of protecting fish stocks. Mr. Mathiesen opened the discussion by stating: […]
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The Blue Marine Foundation has produced a report looking at the legality of fishing beyond maximum sustainable yield (MSY). The report, led by the University of the West of England, has two key findings: that it is illegal for coastal states to permit fishing beyond MSY; and that it is highly likely that this law […]
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The Independent, 15th December 2013, reports: “The Fisheries Minister, George Eustice MP, is preparing to defy scientists by demanding higher cod quotas — in the latest instance of the Government going against expert environmental advice. George Eustice argues that reducing quotas will result in more fish being discarded — at least until 2016, when a […]
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The Westminster Government has published, November 2013, a Defra/MMO report [Sea Angling 2012] which states: “Sea Angling 2012 was established to find out how many people go sea angling in England, how much they catch, how much is released, and the economic and social value of sea angling. This was to help local and national […]
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George Monbiot writes in The Guardian, 25th November 2013: “It’s a stealth tax about which the government has kept very quiet. When you hear the details, you will know why. I doubt whether one in a thousand people is aware that it exists. Every time you buy fish in the UK, you pay a fee […]
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Ray Drabble has just had the following news article published in Marine Pollution Bulletin. His efforts to get this on the agenda for Coastal Futures sadly failed. Similarly MMO and CEFAS have been very dismissive about considering fresh evidence that challenges their stated position. ============================================ Strategic Scoping Report and dredging effects The U.K. Marine Management […]
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The Guardian reports, 11th November 2013: “Banning the wasteful practice of discarding edible fish at sea will not be enough to save dwindling fish stocks, a group of scientists have warned. The ending of discards is a key European Union fisheries policy, and after a hard-fought battle over the past three years with the fishing […]
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The New York Times reports, 1st November 2013: “Paris, France — International negotiations aimed at creating one of the world’s largest marine reserves in the waters off Antarctica ended in failure this week in the face of resistance from Russia, China and Ukraine. In the talks, held in Hobart, Tasmania, under the auspices of the […]
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As a result of recently announced ministerial changes in the Westminster Government, Mr. George Eustice MP has taken over from Mr. Richard Benyon MP as the Minister in charge of fisheries and marine conservation, including the current marine conservation zone (MCZMCZ Marine Conservation Zone) delivery programme. Also, in a press release dated 21st October 2013, […]
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The European Parliament press release, 23rd October 2013, reports on what was agreed in the recent European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) vote under the headline: “Fisheries Policy reform: MEPs agree on rules for €6.5 billion EU aid fund.” Draft rules for allocating European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), aid to help fishermen to comply […]
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Ocean2012 reports, Strasbourg, 23rd October 2013: “Today members of the European Parliament agreed a position on the proposed European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, EMFF. The EMFF is worth over €6.5 billion between 2014 and 2020. Effective implementation of the recently agreed reform of the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy, CFP, including its targets for the ending […]
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The Guardian reports, 21st October 2013: “An Australian sailor has described parts of the Pacific Ocean as “dead” because of severe overfishing, with his vessel having to repeatedly swerve debris for thousands of kilometres on a journey from Australia to Japan. Ivan MacFadyen told of his horror at the severe lack of marine life and […]
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BBC News, 3rd October, 2013, reports: “The health of the world’s oceans is deteriorating even faster than had previously been thought, a report says. A review from the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO), warns that the oceans are facing multiple threats. They are being heated by climate change, turned slowly less […]
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BBC News reports, 24th September 2013: Collective community-based rights could put the world’s fisheries on a sustainable footing after decades of over-exploitation, an expert suggests. Previous management regimes had failed to protect both the industry and fish stocks’ long-term future, explained Ragnar Arnason from Iceland University. Communities would act like “shareholders”, ensuring stocks were protected […]
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Fish2Fork reports, 5th September 2013: “A marine expert has accused the fishing industry of talking “bunk” in its efforts to stop deep sea trawling being banned. Professor Les Watling, of the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu, hit out at the industry as moves to ban deep sea trawling and deep sea gill-netting enter […]
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Fish2Fork reports, 4th April 2013: “Moves to ban deep sea fishing across Europe have been delayed by just three weeks, an MEP has said [in April 2013], despite fears among environmental campaigners that the proposal has in effect been killed off. Struan Stevenson was one of the MEPs who held up the proposed ban by […]
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BBC News reports, 18th July 2013: “Many European fish stocks are on the road to recovery from overfishing, according to a major new study. Findings from an international effort to assess the status of dozens of fish stocks are published in the journal Current Biology. The research found that many stocks in the north-east Atlantic […]
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In a statement to the Westminster Forum meeting on 10th September 2013, convened to consider “Next steps for UK fishing — consumer attitudes, sustainability and implementing the Common Fisheries Policy”, David Levy, Marinet chairman, said: “Marinet believes that CFP reform means very little unless the reforms lead to a re-establishment of fish food security for […]
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Peter Waller sent us a copy of the Yahoo News of Tuesday, 20th August, 2013 which heralds an item entitled .”World has used up 2013 resources” which resides at http://uk.news.yahoo.com/world-used-2013-resources-001916409.html#6z7ZWg4 Peter points out that it is not just the sea bed and marine harvest that is being over exploited, but most other natural resources also. […]
