Saving Seafood

Submissions open for WSI’s second “Women in Seafood” video contest

March 22, 2019 — Women at work in the seafood industry is the focus of an international video competition that’s now open for entries. The scope includes all segments of the industry – fishing on boats, fish farming, processing, selling, managing, research, monitoring, teaching, and any related services.

It’s the second round for the contest that was launched last year by the Paris-based group Women in the Seafood Industry.

“Women are very numerous in the industry, but not very visible,” said Marie Christine Monfort, WSI president, and co-founder.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

No-deal Brexit could destroy Britain’s fishing industry, warns seafood boss

January 31, 2019 — Britain’s fishing industry could be destroyed by a no-deal Brexit, a leading figure has warned.

The UK fishing industry has long been one of the biggest backers for Britain to leave Brussels but Graeme Sutherland, the director of Whitelink Seafoods, said fishing would not survive if Britain crashes out of the European Union.

‘As a company, we export into Europe at a rate of 85-90% of what we produce here,’ he told LBC.

‘We are working on a next-day delivery into France for distribution into Europe. So if we are delayed in any way in clearing customs, in effect, we are going to lose 24 hours on delivery.

‘We need frictionless borders. It has to be that for our industry to survive.’

Read the full story at Yahoo News

Access to UK fishing waters post-Brexit is not up for renegotiation -UK PM May

January 31, 2019 — Access to Britain’s fishing waters is not up for renegotiation in any talks with the European Union over possible changes lawmakers have demanded to the country’s exit deal, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday.

May has said she wants to reopen negotiations on Britain’s Withdrawal Agreement with the EU, something she had previously warned might see other countries also make new demands including over access to British fishing waters after Brexit.

Read the full story from Reuters at Yahoo

Aquaculture sector thriving in the European Union

January 15, 2019 — The performance of the aquaculture sector in the European Union is improving across the board, with all sectors displaying strong economic growth, according to the latest report from the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF).

The 2018 Economic Report of the EU Aquaculture Sector is a comprehensive overview of the latest production figures, value, structure, and competitive performance of the sector at both country and E.U. level between 2008 and 2016.

Analysis shows that sales volumes amounted to 1.4 million metric tons (MT), valued at EUR 4.9 billion (USD 5.6 billion) in 2016, which was an increase of six percent in volume and eight percent in value compared to 2014. Profits doubled during this time, reaching EUR 800 million (USD 917.2 million) total in earnings before interest and tax.

Of the 28 countries making up the E.U., the United Kingdom, France, Greece, Italy, and Spain accounted for around 75 percent of aquaculture production.

Speaking at the 50th anniversary of the European Fisheries Partnership in Brussels, prior to the report being released, E.U. Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella stressed the need for sustainable fish farming to flourish and confirmed the European Union’s commitment to large-scale expansion of aquaculture by member-states.

“It is an industry that creates economic growth, employment and economic stability, especially in rural areas and along coastal areas,” Vella said.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Fears Grow of New ‘Cod Wars’ Under No-Deal Brexit

January 14, 2019 — SEAFOOD NEWS — Fishermen worry that without terms of exit, European boats will test UK’s resolve to take back its territorial waters.

Newlyn, Cornwall – James Hellewell, a picture-book image of a bearded fisherman, contemplates what could happen in the high seas off the English peninsula Cornwall on the first day after a “hard Brexit”.

“Someone’s going to die,” Hellewell warns. “If a trawler has got its beams out and a Frenchman goes and hits it under the beam, he can turn that boat turtle.”

Hellewell, like many others in the fishing community of Newlyn in southwest Cornwall, fears European boats will test Britain’s resolve to take back control of its territorial waters if the United Kingdom leaves the European Union without an exit agreement on March 29.

The waters are currently shared by European fishermen under the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy, but once outside the EU, Britain will regain full control of fishing stocks unless its government reaches a deal with Brussels over the terms of its withdrawal.

Although many fishermen in Cornwall support Brexit, they want conditions put in place that will protect their livelihood and interests.

This story was originally published by SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission. 

NGO finds EU countries could catch 56% more fish if ministers stop Atlantic overfishing

December 19, 2018 — Research undertaken by the NGO Oceana shows Denmark, France and the UK would ultimately register the highest increases in catch volume if EU ministers follow scientific advice when they meet to set the new 2019 quotas on Dec. 18.

The EU could increase the volume of fish landings from the North-Eastern Atlantic and the North Sea by 56%, up to more than 5 million metric tons, according to a study by Oceana.

The organization found that the recovery would take less than ten years, and that Denmark, France, the UK, Netherlands and Spain would benefit the most if scientific advice was followed. Ministers are under pressure in the approach to 2020, whereby under the common fisheries policy, all total allowable catches must be set sustainably.

Lasse Gustavsson, executive director of Oceana Europe, implored EU ministers to think of the longer-term benefits over short-term gains.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

Royal Navy gunships offer extra protection to UK fishermen in British waters post Brexit

November 26, 2018 — The Royal navy’s five Offshore Patrol Vessels, each armed withstate-of-the-art weaponry, will support Britain’s fishing fleet in the wake of the recent clashes between British and French fishermen in the English Channel dubbed the “” earlier this year, after which there were calls on social media to “send in the navy”. They will also offer a boost to national security as the country heads into the uncertain waters of a post-Brexit world – and increasing incursions into British waters by Russian vessels. The future of the Batch 1 Offshore Patrols Vessels (OPVs), HMS Tyne, HMS Mersey and HMS Severn, which currently support the Fishery Protection Squadron and which were due to be commissioned, have been secured by an intervention by Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson.

All three will be retained for the next two years at least in order to bolster the UK’s fishing fleet as well as its shores.

Currently the Royal Navy provides about 200 days of fishery protection a year – but Mr Williamson’s announcement means the ships will now be able to offer a combined total of up to 600 days of fishery protection a year if necessary.

Each ship will “forward-operate” from their namesake rivers – from Newcastle, Liverpool and the Cardiff area respectively – in order to boost rapid responses in British waters up and down the nation.

The versatile ships are also vital to the Royal Navy’s anti-smuggling and counter-terrorism work, and often escort foreign vessels, including those from , through the English Channel.

Read the full story at The Daily Express

Royal Navy to help protect British fishing fleets after Brexit

October 18, 2018 — Speaking to the House of Lords EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee, the Environment Secretary said that 60 people, including members of the navy, will be needed to protect Britain’s fishing waters.

It comes months after Cornish fishermen and their French counterparts agreed a truce in the so-called ‘scallop wars‘ over prime fishing territory in the Baie de Seine, north of Normandy.

Mr Gove said: “We’ve presented a business case to the treasury, outlining the additional capacity that we need. Both ships and also aviation but also staff.

“We’ll need to recruit potentially another sixty people to work in fisheries protection work, we’re in the process of recruiting those people now.

“They’ll need three months training in order to get people to be ready and effective to do their job.

“We’ll get some of that capacity from the private sector, but it’s also the case we will need some capacity from the Royal Navy.”

He also said that people who want to be “absolutely certain” they can take their pets abroad in the Easter holidays after Brexit should see their vet in November.

Mr Gove said the UK becoming an “unlisted third country” after a no-deal Brexit would lead to onerous new measures for pet owners.

The scenario for what replaces the current pet travel scheme is the most unlikely, he told peers, as it is usually only applied to countries with a real risk of disease.

But he said: “If you want to be absolutely certain you can take your pet abroad and you’re worried about the worst case scenario and you’re taking your pet abroad for example during the Easter holidays then you should see your vet.

Read the full story at the Evening Standard

Scallop row: UK and French fishermen strike a deal

September 18, 2018 — The agreement, starting on Tuesday, will see larger British boats withdrawing in return for greater fishing rights elsewhere.

In August, boats collided and fishermen threw stones at each other as the French accused UK boats of depleting scallop stocks.

British fishermen said they were legally entitled to fish there.

Under the terms of the new deal, UK scallop dredgers over 15m long will leave the scallop beds off the coast of Normandy from midnight for six weeks.

In return, France will transfer fishing rights for scallops in areas such as the Irish Sea.

Smaller British boats are not restricted under the deal and can continue to fish in the Bay of Seine, where the row broke out.

Fisheries minister George Eustice said: “I commend the UK fishing industry for its patience throughout negotiations and welcome this pragmatic outcome.

Read the full story at BBC News

Talks to end ‘scallop wars’ between UK and France collapse

September 13, 2018 — Negotiations between British and French fishermen to end the ‘scallop wars’ in the Channel have collapsed.

Industry leaders had been working to agree compensation for UK mariners to prevent them foraging for the molluscs in a disputed territory during a period when the French are banned under domestic law.

But it was announced on Wednesday that talks had ended without a deal, risking a return to recent skirmishes in the Baie de Seine north of Normandy.

The Scottish White Fish Producers Association said it was “disappointing for everyone”, adding: “No one wants to see conflict on the high seas.”

The French food and agriculture minister, Stephane Travert, said he “regretted” the failure, but he added that he “salutes” the efforts of the French fishermen to “propose reasonable compensation”.

Talks had been held both sides of the Channel after trouble flared in recent weeks.

Some 35 French boats confronted five British craft off the coast of northern France, with reports of rocks and smoke bombs being hurled at UK vessels.

Read the full story at The Guardian