Saving Seafood

Europe’s Green Energy Rush Slashed Emissions—and Crippled the Economy

December 2, 2025 — European politicians pitched the continent’s green transition to voters as a win-win: Citizens would benefit from green jobs and cheap, abundant solar and wind energy alongside a sharp reduction in carbon emissions.

Nearly two decades on, the promise has largely proved costly for consumers and damaging for the economy.

Europe has succeeded in slashing carbon emissions more than any other region—by 30% from 2005 levels, compared with a 17% drop for the U.S. But along the way, the rush to renewables has helped drive up electricity prices in much of the continent.

Germany now has the highest domestic electricity prices in the developed world, while the U.K. has the highest industrial electricity rates, according to a basket of 28 major economies analyzed by the International Energy Agency. Italy isn’t far behind. Average electricity prices for heavy industries in the European Union remain roughly twice those in the U.S. and 50% above China. Energy prices have also grown more volatile as the share of renewables increased.

Read the full article at The Wall Street Journal

New trade framework gives US seafood preferential access to EU markets

August 21, 2025 — The U.S. and the European Commission have released a joint framework covering the recent trade deal between the two sides, which will see preferential market access for a range of products, including seafood.

The E.U. agreed to a trade deal with the U.S. on 28 July, just days before the 1 August deadline that U.S. President Donald Trump set for achieving some form of agreement. Without the deal, goods from the E.U. entering the U.S. would have faced tariffs as high as 30 percent.

Read the full article at Seafood Source

EU agrees to trade deal with US, setting tariff rate for goods at 15 percent

July 28, 2025 — The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump announced it has reached a trade deal with the European Union, setting a base tariff rate of 15 percent on E.U. goods.

Trump announced the deal just days before a 1 August deadline that would have seen the E.U.’s effective tariff rate jump to 30 percent. It also came as media reported E.U. diplomats were considering using wide-ranging “anti-coercion” measures, often dubbed the “nuclear option,” as a means of discouraging the tariffs.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Trump reportedly considering delay on China tariffs, EU considering “nuclear option” on trade

July 22, 2025 — The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly considering an extension on a trade deadline with China that would see higher tariffs on goods as of 12 August if a deal is not reached.

The U.S. and China both agreed to a 90-day pause on high tariffs in May after a series of escalations by the Trump administration ended up with tariffs as high as 145 percent on goods from China. China, in response, imposed tariffs of its own, reaching as high as 125 percent on U.S. goods.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Four years on, Brexit continues to undermine segments of UK seafood industry

February 10, 2024 — Supporters of the U.K.’s departure from the E.U. four years ago promised the dawn of a golden era for the fishing and seafood industry. Those operating in the sector hoped the move would offer more control over volumes caught and the people catching in U.K. waters, subsequently presenting more opportunities for growth, particularly in coastal communities.

For those attempting to navigate the unique challenges Brexit has wrought on the U.K.’s seafood supply chain, that optimism has faded for many in the country’s seafood sector. Many continue to lament red tape complicating the export of many types of seafood to key overseas markets. If products do make it to Europe, they often incur significant additional costs. Brexit has also limited the number of foreign workers available for hire by U.K. processors, leaving them struggling to find sufficient numbers of employees to operate in a cost-effective manner.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

MAC: EU’s Ukraine war response requires more top-level fisheries, aquaculture action

February 7, 2023 — When Russia first invaded Ukraine almost 12 months ago, the European Commission quickly provided appropriate measures and gave E.U. member-states new tools to mitigate the impacts of the conflict and the sanctions that were adopted across the bloc, according to the Market Advisory Council (MAC). However, E.U. member-states haven’t been as prompt in their implementations, it found in a newly-issued report.

Composed of organizations representing the entire value chain and other interested groups, and co-funded by the E.U., MAC provides advice to the E.C. and E.U. member-states on the global seafood market.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NGO outcry as latest EU report shows little improvement in ending overfishing

April 12, 2019 — Environmental NGOs have decried a new European Commission report, claiming it shows species such as sardine, hake, and cod could suffer commercial extinctions in European waters in the short term.

The 2019 report by the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) led Oceana to state that overfishing is “plaguing EU seas”. Around 40% of Atlantic stocks and 87% of Mediterranean ones are found to be fished unsustainably, it said.

“As the 2020 deadline for ending overfishing is fast approaching, scientists confirm, with just months to go, the EU countries are still nowhere near reaching the legal obligation of the common fisheries policy (CFP).”

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

EU fishermen to be compensated for a ‘no-deal’ Brexit

March 22, 2019 — In order to help mitigate the impact of a “no-deal” Brexit on European Union fisheries, a new regulation will allow member states’ fishermen and operators to receive compensation under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), the European Council has confirmed.

The contingency measure is one of a series of new legislative acts adopted by the council in preparation for the United Kingdom’s departure from the E.U. without agreements in place about what the future relationship would look like. The compensation would be to offset the temporary stop of their activities in the event of a sudden closure of U.K. waters to E.U. fishing vessels.

These new acts are aimed to limit the most severe damage caused by a “disorderly Brexit” in specific sectors where it would create a major disruption for citizens and businesses, the Council said. The measures are temporary in nature, limited in scope and will be adopted unilaterally by the E.U.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

UK strikes Brexit deal with two of its biggest seafood partners

March 21, 2019 — The United Kingdom has reached a temporary agreement with Norway and Iceland that allows trade to continue unchanged should it leave the European Union without a deal in place.

Through the new arrangements, which mimic those already in place with E.U. member states, zero tariffs remain on established quotas on seafood and agricultural products. A basis for negotiating a permanent agreement was also established.

The agreement is now subject to final legal checks and is expected to be formally signed next week.

Read the full story at Seafood Source