The EC announced on 01/09/10 a decision outlining the criteria necessary to achieve ‘Good Environmental Status’ (GES) for Europe’s seas the definition of which is a requirement under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive which aims to achieve GES in all EU marine waters by 2020. According to the EC’s Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik “We want [...]

A Swedish government report FISKE2020 on its fishing industry is proposing radical changes to allow a better distribution of fishing rights between the commercial and recreational sectors. The report which is over 120 pages long is published by the Swedish Board of Fisheries which says FISKE2020 aims to provide a basis for the debate on [...]

21st July 2010 – 13th October 2010 Info release from Defra Please be advised the public consultations and supporting documents on the Marine Policy Statement, the Marine Planning System and Marine Licensing are now live and can be accessed on the following links: The Marine Policy Statement (UK) will be the first part of new [...]

Failure to reform the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) could be catastrophic for fish stocks EU Fisheries Ministers were told at a Luxembourg summit and following a presentation by Commissioner Maria Damanaki, Fisheries Ministers had an exchange of views on the available policy options for the reform of the CFP. Unsurprisingly, the meeting was told that [...]

In the EU’s latest Consultation on Fishing Opportunities for 2011, their latest assessment of the fish stocks for the West of Scotland, Irish and Celtic Sea stocks show that many stocks are depleted. It also shows there are widespread problems with recording of catches and other data to the point that the state of the [...]

The EU’s industrial purse seine fleets have caught their whole annual quota of bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean in one week. France’s purse seiners, for example, had already caught 1,456 tonnes by June 8th – some 86 per cent of their quota for the year – while Spain’s had caught 728 tonnes, over 90 per [...]

Richard Benyon MP has been appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Natural Environment and Fisheries. His portfolio will include : Natural environment, Ecosystem services, Biodiversity National parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty, Wildlife, JNCC Flooding and water (including Nitrates), Inland waterways (including British Waterways) Land management (including commons and contaminated land) and soil Rural Affairs, Coastal [...]

The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 requires that the MPS state general policies for achieving sustainable development in the UK marine area and that a combination of the UK Act and the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 ensures that Scottish marine plans must comply with the MPS, if it has been adopted by Scottish Ministers. [...]

Concerns about foreign fish being sold in Europe and what to do about the future of Europe’s fisheries industry were aired in a hearing held by the Fisheries Committee on 8 April. Over fishing, plunging stocks and falling prices have created a perfect storm battering the fisheries industry. Many of their representatives were in Brussels [...]