Saving Seafood

NAPA study claims Atlanto-Scandian herring fishery could collapse in two years without action

March 2, 2024 — A study commissioned by the North Atlantic Pelagic Advocacy Group (NAPA) indicates the Atlanto-Scandian herring stock in the Northeast Atlantic may be nearing a collapse if steps aren’t taken to halt overfishing.

NAPA is one of the groups behind persistent calls for action to end overfishing of Atlanto-Scandian herring, which has faced severe sustainability issues for multiple years. The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) suspended its certification for the species in 2020, and since that time, coastal states have continued to exert more pressure on the stock than the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) recommends.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Aquafeed companies issue ultimatum: Fix North Atlantic blue whiting issues or we’ll stop buying it

January 31, 2023 — The North Atlantic Pelagic Advocacy Group (NAPA) has declared its members will cease buying North Atlantic blue whiting if upcoming negotiations dont’ bring its total allowable catch (TAC) back into recommended levels.

Skretting, Cargill, and BioMar, all major aquafeed companies that are NAPA members, said without any action by coastal states to reduce fishing pressure on North Atlantic blue whiting, they will stop buying the species completely. The three businesses said that sustainable feed is essential to the sustainable development of aquaculture – and the current lack of sustainable fishing pressures on the species poses a problem.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Seafood industry wants Northeast Atlantic coastal states to compromise on pelagic fishery catches

September 27, 2021 — Setting catch levels for Northeast Atlantic pelagic stocks above the established scientific advice year-on-year is an unacceptable threat to shared-stock fisheries, the North Atlantic Pelagic Advocacy Group (NAPA) has warned fisheries ministers ahead of next month’s North Atlantic Coastal States Meeting 2021.

In an open letter to coastal states ministers and their delegations, NAPA states that its collective – as a major purchaser of Northeast Atlantic pelagics – wants to see coastal states taking a leadership position and commit to science-based management of Northeast Atlantic mackerel, Atlanto-Scandian herring, and Northeast Atlantic blue whiting.

Read the full story at Seafood Source