NORWAY'S Fisheries Minister Lisbeth Berg-Hansen has pledged to help the European Union with its reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.

The Prince of Wales says that despite evidence about the continued decline of the world’s fish stocks there is real cause for optimism about the future of this vital resource.

News from around the industry

Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, has today (Thursday February 2 2012) launched a public consultation process on how to harness the potential of Ireland’s vast marine resource

Seafish has taken the decision to move next week’s follow-up meetings with the UK fishing industry to later in the month while it waits on the final detail of its new operating structure and objectives being agreed.

THE Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is offering funding to those seeking to improve fisheries management.

HB Grandi, one of Iceland's top three fishing companies, has announced a value earnings of some 18 billion kroners or 111-million euros for all of  its catches last year.

Nofima Mat, the Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research, has looked at the correlation between the choice of gear, vessel size, catch size and the quality of raw materials from the coastal fleet and has reported findings that indicate the quality is deteriorating.

The ITF will launch a free guide for fishers’ trade unions to the ILO Work in Fishing Convention tomorrow.

Seafish, the authority on seafood, is commissioning a project to assess potential uses for discarded fish that is not destined for human consumption.

A NEW approach on marine protection areas is being put forward following a meeting between the Anglo-Scottish fishing coalition and a number of key organisations.

FISHERMEN in Denmark have expressed their dismay following the acquittal by jury of the conservation group Greenpeace in a Danish Court.

The Scottish Fisheries Secretary has warned that a third straight year without an international mackerel deal will put at risk the future of this very valuable fishery.

£750k funding under new strategy for fishing activity close to shore.

News stories from the industry.

Friend of the Sea, the major sustainability certification for products from sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, has also become the international reference standard for producers of fish oil, fishmeal and Omega-3.

Norab are providers of Indumar STOP IT® products which are used to repair and reinforce industrial and domestic metal or plastic pipes in virtually any situation, even underwater, and are located in Aberdeen, distributing to Scotland and the rest of the UK.

A new multi-purpose under 10m vessel from Cygnus Workboats that is ideal for potting, netting and jigging is set to be a major attraction at the forthcoming ‘Fishing, Aquaculture and Seafood Expo – from Sea to Plate’ that is being staged in Glasgow, Scotland, in March 2012.

Cornish sea shanty group Stamp and Go will be raising money for the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society, which supports seafarers in need, with the launch of their latest CD on 1st  February.

SFF Services Ltd has appointed John C Buchan to the role of Marine Assurance Officer in a move that will provide crucial support to the company’s Operations Team.

IN the wake of increased traffic in 2011, including a higher value of fish landings, Lerwick Harbour officials are confident that another busy year lies ahead for Shetland’s capital.

A FORMER Icelandic Government Minister has told how he was threatened with death while negotiating the Cod War settlement between his country and Britain more than 35 years ago.

The global maritime industry is bracing for a challenging year ahead, and there is an increasing need for the industry to get together and discuss the wide range of issues that will have to be addressed.

WASHINGTON, DC, January 25, 2012 – Asian, European and Latin American fleets have devastated fish stocks in the southern Pacific, once among the world’s richest waters, a new investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists has found.

Global marine safety equipment provider, Mobilarm Limited has appointed David Marshall, a highly regarded figure in the world of maritime safety, to its board of directors, effective 20th January 2012.

The Discard Action Group (DAG), a cross-industry group formed in 2007 facilitated by Seafish, has written to the EU’s Commissioner for Fisheries, Maria Damanaki to emphasise the importance of discard reduction, within long-term management plans, as a tool for achieving sustainable fishing.

Stornoway Coastguard rescue helicopter rescued a severely injured fisherman from a vessel 230 miles offshore on Saturday January 21 2012.

Seafish, the authority on seafood, is seeking three charter vessels to trial five different highly selective TR2 gears operating on Irish Sea nephrops grounds, out of a port in Northern Ireland.

“Keep Fishermen Fishing” Organizers Unite to Fix Federal Fisheries Law.

DIVERS have recovered two bodies from the Irish trawler Tit Bonhomme which sank off the Cork coast last Sunday.

Friend of the Sea project expands in Greece as Kefalonia Fisheries, a major producer of Mediterranean Sea Bream, Sea Bass and Meagre, obtains sustainability certification.

The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation will underline tomorrow (Friday 20 January) at the first meeting in 2012 of the Fisheries Management and Conservation Group (FMAC) in Edinburgh that no stone must be left unturned in finding ways to ensure that Scotland’s fishing fleet has enough fishing days in 2012 to remain viable.

New Zealand’s Stabicraft Marine has delivered nine custom 659 Wheel House vessels to Alaska where they will be used as observation boats to monitor the gill net fishery and the fishery’s interaction with sea mammals and sea birds.

On  17th March 2011 the United Kingdom Registered Fishing Vessel Reliant, BCK101, grounded on Sule Skerry to the South West of the  Orkney Islands.

New published research from Professor Douglas MacMillan of the University of Kent’s School of Anthropology and Conservation has shed light on one of the most contentious issues in global conservation – the sale of skin, blubber and meat from whales caught accidentally.

New Scottish seafood promotion group meets for first time.

HOPES of finding any more survivors from the Irish fishing boat Tit Bonhomme,. which sank off the coast of Cork on Sunday morning, have all but faded.

A Scots Euro MP has issued a call for feedback from the fishing industry on the final draft of his report to the European Commission on a key section of Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) reform.

US President, Barak Obama, has announced a plan to abolish the Department of Commerce—home to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) since 1970. If the plan is implemented, NOAA would become part of the US Department of the Interior.

A scheme is to provide funding for projects that make a difference in local Scottish fishing communities, with up to £7.6 million to be shared out across 13 local authorities.

A MAJOR search for five fishermen whose trawler sank off the southern coast of Ireland early on Sunday resumed at first light today.

The Northern Shrimp Section will consider a request by Maine shrimp fishermen, processors and dealers to increase the 2012 shrimp harvest quota when the regulators meet January 19 in Portland.

A LEADING Aberdeenshire councillor has expressed concern at the 90-day notice issued by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to suspend the certification of sustainability from the Scottish mackerel fishery.

At 02.29 am this morning, Friday, Holyhead coastguard received a call from a fishing vessel to report one of their crew missing.

Marine Stewardship Council certified mackerel fisheries in the North East Atlantic ocean have received notice that their certificates will be suspended on 30th March 2012 unless issues in the fisheries are resolved.

Eyemouth fishermen and other local stakeholders will tell UK Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman and Scottish Secretary Michael Moore at a meeting in Eyemouth today (12 January) that the fishing industry must be given as much Government support as possible so as to create the optimum conditions to ensure survival.

In response to the recent fish quota talks Seafish, the authority on seafood, has produced a summary document showing the Total Allowable Catches (TACs) agreed by the European Union in December 2011 for 2012, compared with the scientific recommendations made by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).

A NEW EU-project is to carry out environmental accounting for catch and production of cod and haddock.

ALL the signs are that 2012 will be a pivotal year for the fishing industry, says the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations.

In the run up to the 6th World Fisheries Congress in May 2012, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Vice President of the Congress, Michel Kaiser, has participated in an interview with the American Fisheries Society (AFS) which details further the events taking place in May.

The Herring Buyers Association Ltd has just received approval from Companies House to change its name to the Scottish Pelagic Processors Association Ltd (SPPA) and will be know by that title with immediate effect.

Stornoway Coastguard coordinated the search and rescue of a man overboard from a French fishing vessel in the early hours of Sunday (January 8 2012) morning off the Isle of Lewis.

Exhibition Management Services (EMS), organisers of Fish & Marine Africa 2012, has announced the postponement of the expo, which was scheduled to take place from 13 to 15 March this year in Cape Town.

Following the ‘Discussion with Industry’ workshops last autumn on the future of Seafish, the four UK Fisheries Ministers will soon publish a summary of the discussion and high level outcomes.

At the High Court in Edinburgh today, four fishermen pled guilty to offences of making false declarations regarding over £8 million of fish that they landed.

Following a short trip to the North Sea fishing grounds, trawler skipper Sandy West successfully completed the first landing of 2012 of langoustines (prawns) into Buckie, enabling local processing firm Moray Seafoods to get the New Year off to a flying start by ensuring its customers are kept supplied with the highest quality shellfish.

JON Bjarnason has been ousted as Iceland's Fisheries Minister after more than two years in the post.

Fisheries Secretary welcomes one of Scotland's first 2012 prawn landings in Buckie.

ICELAND has moved to ban virtually all halibut fishing with almost immediate effect because of growing fears over the state of the stock.

The NFI Crab Council in the US will retain an Asia Liaison, who will be the primary in-region contact for the Council’s projects. The position will work with in-country trade associations and various stakeholders on fisheries improvement work.

The year 2011 was a "mixed year" for Scotland's fish stocks and fishing industry, said WWF Scotland today (Wednesday 28 December) as it published its end of year assessment of the state of Scotland's main whitefish stocks. [1]

The Marine Conservation Society has been accused of  'speaking  without thinking' in its criticism of some of the decisions from the recent EU fish quota talks.

Cornish Fishermen have until 31 March 2012 to take advantage of 100% funding towards the Seafish Under 16.5m Skipper’s Certificate or £1000 towards an MCA Deck or Engineer Officer Certificate of Competency.

A deal done after two days of frenzied negotiations in Brussels has secured the future of Scotland’s fishing fleet – but further improvements could not be implemented because of legal red tape, Scotland’s Fishing Minister Richard Lochhead told MSPs today.

Shetland Seafood Auctions is pleased to announce that 258,286 boxes of white fish were landed at the market in 2011, a figure significantly higher than in 2010. This is a great result for Shetland’s white fish sector, which has faced tough quotas and a huge reduction in fishing effort imposed at the start of the year.

The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) has formed its own Crab Council as part of its Seafood Committee that will work on Blue Swimming Crab sustainability projects. NFI’s Crab Council is eager to work with the new group and has already donated seed money to help get it up and running.

MAJOR reform of the Common Fisheries Policy was now even more urgent following the "absurdity" of last week's EU fish quota negotions, the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations, said yesterday.

Chairman, Bill Brock and Chief Executive, Jim Portus, have now returned to work after the Brussels Fisheries Council that ended in the early hours of Saturday morning, 17th December.

A fisherman, who was airlifted from a vessel off the Sussex after severing his hand, has had surgery.

ICELAND has just completed a highly successful herring season with the quality of the fish better than ever.

Responding to the conclusion of two days of talks in which European Fisheries Ministers have agreed on the fishing opportunities for 2012 Dr Mireille Thom, Senior Marine Policy Officer at WWF Scotland said: "We are encouraged that the catch proposals have largely been set on the basis of scientific advice - a key requirement to deliver a sustainable future for our fisheries.

The UK Government has secured a victory for the fishing industry by stopping a massive cut in the number of days that fishermen are allowed to spend at sea.

Following a marathon session of talks, the EU Fish Council in Brussels to decide upon catching opportunity for 2012 concluded earlyon Saturday morning (17 December) with the Scottish fleet being hit by the bitter blow of a further cut in the number of days that its vessels can put to sea next year.

Industry saved from days at sea penalties but challenges still remain.

WHILE  senior politicians were hailing the result of the weekend European Union fish quota talks as the "best possible deal", fishermen in Scotland and  England were taking quite the opposite view.

Following the conclusion of lengthy and complex EU fisheries negotiations the Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, said: “I am delighted at the outcome of these negotiations which delivered my key priorities and will allow the Irish fishing fleet to look forward to 2012 with optimism.

Prime Minister criticizes EU Commission’s stance on the mackerel issue.

At the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday, December 16 2011 17 fishermen, who had previously pled guilty to landing undeclared fish at Shetland Catch Ltd in Lerwick between 2002 and 2005, were the subject of confiscation orders totalling £2,945,600.

European Commissioner Maria Damanaki presented yesterday (15 December) at the Fisheries Council meeting in Brussels her proposal for sanction measures against third countries that permit non-sustainable fishing in their waters.

Scottish mackerel fishermen have welcomed the commitment givenon Thursday (15 December) by Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki at the EU Fish Council meeting in Brussels that negotiations for a new mackerel agreement in January are the last chance for Faroes and Iceland to avoid sanctions.

ICELAND'S mackerel negotiator has urged the EU to change its tactics towards his country in the wake of news that Brussels is finally planning sanctions against both Iceland and the Faroes.

THE European Parliament voted on Wednesday to reject a proposed extension of the controversial EU-Morocco fisheries agreement and called on the Commission to negotiate a new, more environmentally and economically beneficial deal, which should take account of the interests of the Sahrawi population.

EU Fisheries Commissioner says sanctions to come if no mackerel deal in January.

Seafish, the authority on seafood, has responded to a key report on the future of European Fisheries Funding published by the EU Court of Auditors this week.

NORWAY is becoming an increasingly important source of cod and haddock to the UK, although Iceland remains the largest supplier of these two species, a Grimsby trade workshop in Grimsby was told yesterday.

THE European Commission has moved closer towards imposing sanctions against Iceland and the Faroe Islands over their controversial mackerel overfishing policy.

Our fishermen must be given enough time at sea to catch the quotas allocated to them, said Scotland's Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead.

Seafish, the UK’s authority on seafood, reports a superb response to its ‘Fish is the Dish’ campaign. Launched in October, it has so far reached 120,000 consumers (twice as many as anticipated by this early stage) and this week was ranked the UK’s 15th ‘Most Talked About’ blogging campaign by the Tots 100 Brand Index - just two places behind Tesco.

Proposals have finally been progressed by the European Commission that could see sanctions brought against Faroes and Iceland for their reckless overfishing of mackerel.

One the eve of EC Fisheries Council (15 & 16 December) into deciding upon catching opportunity for 2012, the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation is warning that every effort must be focused on ensuring that the fishing fleet is not hit by further cuts in the number of days that vessels can go to sea next year, which as well as being devastating economically would also have a series of knock-on effects that would at a stroke destroy years of hard work by fishermen to conserve stocks.

Oceana is urging EU Fisheries Council Ministers to put aside short term interests in tomorrow’s meeting to establish 2012 catch limits for the main species targeted by Europe’s Atlantic fleet.

EAPO CALLS UPON COUNCIL TO AVOID UNREALISTIC AND ARBITRARY

MEASURES PROPOSED BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Fantastic fish and shellfish, wonderful coastal activities, and plenty of family fun - it’s a recipe for success for Pembrokeshire Fish Week 2012.

Seafish has invited industry to provide input on proposed new changes on the way that seafood products should be labelled in the future.

Fillets from cod taken in Norwegian harbours and fjords contain low levels of mercury, according to a new report.

A project involving 162 fishing vessels from 17 Scottish harbours has ensured that over 242 tonnes of rubbish has been taken from the seas since 2008.

During a plenary debate in the European Parliament last night (12 December 11), the East of England MEP Stuart Agnew has accused the EU of attempting to push through a fisheries deal with Morocco that would be illegal and allow over-fishing of already depleted stocks.

A preliminary assessment by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on research showing that cod remains overfished could lead to further federal fishing regulations.

THE National Federations of Fishermen's Organisations (NFFO) has questioned what it has described as the dubious science behind the creation of Marine Conservations Zones around the UK coastline.

Commenting on the failure of marathon negotiations at the end of last week to agree an international mackerel fishing deal in talks that included the EU, Norway, Faroe Islands and Iceland.

Today, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) released their long-awaited analysis of the effectiveness of EU fleet management, which shows the systematic failure of fleet capacity reduction policies.

Billions of euros to promote sustainable fishing are doing the reverse.

REDUNDANCY notices are expected to go out this week to some of the staff at the threatened Cromer Crab Company factory in North Norfolk.

Fourteen social and environmental organisations have sent a letter to all Spanish MEPs asking them to vote against the renewal of the fisheries agreement between the European Union (EU) and Morocco.

Following yet another unsuccessful attempt to reach an agreement on multilateral management measures for mackerel for 2012, the Minister of Fisheries of the Faroe Islands, Jákup Mikkelsen, expressed his disappointment with the lack of progress in the negotiations.

A third round of negotiations to try and achieve an international mackerel fishing deal for 2012 concluded on Friday, with further negotiations planned to resume in January. The talks included the EU, Norway, Faroe Islands and Iceland.

Palauan fisheries officials have boarded and detained a Taiwanese fishing vessel suspected of illegal fishing activities during a joint patrol with Greenpeace of the Pacific Island nation’s exclusive economic zone.

In its first three months, an incredible 1,358 chefs and 136 UK fishing vessels signed up to Direct Seafood’s Coastal Fish campaign.

Scottish Liberal Democrat Fisheries spokesperson Jim Hume MSP has questioned the Cabinet Secretary in the Scottish Parliament during a statement on a proposed EU regulation that would drastically affect our fishing fleet.

Ms Maria Damanaki, Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, was guest of honour yesterday, at Europêche’s General Assembly meeting, which was chaired by the Europêche President, Mr Javier Garat.

TALKS between EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki and UK, Scottish and Northern Irish Ministers to discuss quotas and control measures have been described as “very positive.”

ARGENTINA has launched a naval blockade of foreign fishing vessels operating in the South Atlantic in a new bid to put pressure on the Falkland Islands.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has adopted a resolution on Oceans and Sustainable Fisheries which calls on high seas fishing nations to take stronger actions to protect deep sea life.

A NEW industry-funded PhD research project is underway at Bangor University to help improve understanding of the scallop fishery in the English Channel. 

A CREW member was airlifted from a prawn boat between The Isle of Rum and Sleat on Monday after he became ill.

Europêche and Copa-Cogeca have welcomed with interest the proposal for a new European  Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) which has just been adopted by the Commission, replacing the current European Fisheries Fund (EFF) as well as other instruments over the period 2014-2020".

Cumbrian Seafoods went into administration earlier today (5 December 2011).

The Grimsby Institute has teamed up  with Tesco, one of Britain’s largest fish retailers, to provide specialist fishmongering skills aimed at increasing the retailers’ fishmongering offering throughout their stores.

THE European Commission has proposed a new fund for the EU's maritime and fisheries policies for the period 2014-2020: the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF).

Commenting ahead of his meeting in Brussels today with EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki, Scottish Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead said: "I am hopeful talks with Commissioner Damanaki will take us closer towards a fairer resolution for Scottish fishermen.

Negotiations have concluded on the 2012 bilateral deal between the EU and Norway.

Most of the key objectives were achieved for the Scottish fishing industry following the conclusion on Friday, December 2, of the second round of EU/Norway talks to finalise catching opportunities for shared stocks.

EU and Norwegian fishing industry call on Iceland and Faroe Islands to start acting responsibly on the sharing arrangement for mackerel.

Scottish Liberal Democrat Fisheries spokesperson Jim Hume MSP met with Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairson Thursday to discuss the announcement made by the European Commission last week on proposed changes to laws which could cut the numbers days that Scottish skippers can put to sea.

Trials show that new technology is allowing South West fishermen to continue to fish in their local area while protecting the marine habitats in Lyme Bay, it was revealed today, Thursday.

THE THIRD round of talks in 2011 between the Coastal States (EU, Norway, Iceland and Faroe Islands) will take place in Clonakilty, Ireland from 5-9 December 2011 with the aim of coming to an agreement on the joint management of the North East Atlantic mackerel stock.

STRUAN Stevenson, Conservative MEP for Scotland and Senior Vice-President of the European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee, scooped recognition as ‘MEP of the Year’ in the fisheries category at last night’s MEP Awards ceremony in Brussels.

Norway has a long tradition of managing its fisheries in harmony with nature, and is internationally regarded by many organisations as a world leader in sustainable fisheries management.

Field biologists funded by the US Army Corps of Engineers have counted a record number of coho salmon in the downstream portions of the Russian River system in western Sonoma County, offering a glimmer of hope that recovery of the endangered silver salmon is one day possible.

Scottish and UK Fisheries Ministers raise concerns with Commissioner Damanaki.

ICELAND'S Fisheries Minister Jon Bjarnason is embroiled in a major political row over proposed fishing reforms which could cost him his job or force his resignation.

From 5-9 December 2011 a new round of talks between the Coastal States (EU, Norway, Iceland and Faroe Islands) will take place in Clonakilty (Ireland) with the aim to come to an agreement on the joint management of the NEA mackerel stock.

Food Certification International (FCI) has recently certified three more fisheries as being sustainable against the MSC Sustainable Fishing Standard, including the first ever fishery to be certified in the western central Atlantic region.

SOME of Iceland's fish exporters appear to be getting worried about Norway's increasing interest in the UK white fish market.

A CALL from a French fishing vessel to request the medical evacuation of a crew member became more complicated than usual because no-one on board spoke English.

Britain is to have a new fleet of faster and more modern search and rescue helicopters, the Government has announced.

THERE are growing demands from the fishing industry to simplify the Common Fisheries Policy when it comes up for reform next year.

EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki has pledged that she plans to press for stronger maritime growth in the Atlantic when she attends a key conference on the future of the great ocean later today.

Last week's European Commission announcement of further cuts in the number of days at sea for Scottish whitefish vessels has been described as “abrupt and inexplicable” by a Scottish MEP.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney, T.D., has today officially named and formally opened the new National Seafood Centre at Clogheen, Clonakilty, Co. Cork.

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP for Shetland, Tavish Scott, and Liberal Democrat MEP for Scotland, George Lyon have called for urgent clarification on the announcement by the European Commission, on proposed changes to laws which could cut the number of days that Scottish skippers can put to sea.

Shark Advocates International is heralding the agreement by Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) to list the giant manta ray (Manta birostris) under CMS Appendix I and II.

Scottish Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead is seeking urgent clarification from the European Commission over confusing figures published yesterday that indicate Scottish vessels will need to further reduce fishing effort.

The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation has expressed dismay and anger at the news that the EC is set to impose further cuts in the number of days that Scottish whitefish and prawn vessels can put to sea on top of the draconian reductions already proposed for 2012.

FISHERIES ministers from Norway, Sweden and Denmark have signed a joint declaration to prohibit discarding of fish in the Skagerrak from 2013.

MARIA Damanaki European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries spoke on the phasing out of discards at the conference "Renewal of the EU Fisheries Policy – minimised by-catch and ban on discards" at the Royal Academy of Engineering Sciences, in Stockholm on Wednesday.

The Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney, T.D., has today officially named and formally opened the new National Seafood Centre at Clogheen, Clonakilty, Co. Cork.

THE ongoing Iceland mackerel dispute took on a new intensity ahead of a meeting in Aberdeen today between Scottish Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead and representatives of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen's Association.

Scottish mackerel fishermen will tell Scots fisheries minister Richard Lochhead at a meeting in Aberdeen tomorrow (25 November) that they are deeply concerned that the European Union is ready to give up a huge share of the Scottish mackerel quota so as to strike a deal with Iceland and the Faroe Islands.

Friend of the Sea is mentioned in an EU recent booklet aimed at raising consumers awareness to support the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.

NORWAY'S fish catching industry has embarked on a major new trawler building programme.

George Lyon, Liberal Democrat MEP for Scotland, has met with representatives of the Scottish fishing industry to see what more can be done to support fishermen from Brussels.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Simon Coveney TD today presented to the Dáil a Sustainability Impact Assessment of the EU Commission proposals for Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and quotas for 2012, representing the first time that such a process has been adopted.

Commission follows Scotland's lead to strengthen ban on "barbaric" shark finning.

On Friday 18th November the Whitby & District Fishing Industry Training School held its 9th Annual General Meeting and Apprentice of the Year Award.

THE EU has finally proposed an outright ban on shark finning, in a move welcomed by European Parliament fisheries committee Vice-President Struan Stevenson MEP, a longstanding campaigner against the practice.

Award winning restaurant group Fishworks have been proud supporters of the Fishermen’s Mission since 2007.

The crew of a fishing vessel were rescued from a life raft last night after their fishing vessel ‘Moyuna’ ran aground at the entrance to Ardglass Harbour.

APPLICATIONS are invited by the UK Marine Management Organisation (MMO) for new trials of catch quota schemes in the North Sea and in Western Waters for 2012.

Oceana, the largest international advocacy group working to protect the world’s oceans, has applauded the 22nd regular meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) on Friday for establishing new protections for silky sharks, the shark species most vulnerable to overfishing by Atlantic longline fisheries.

AN international cod patrol in the North Sea has discovered the possible use of blinders by a Dutch vessel, according to the EU’s Community Fisheries Control Agency (CFCA).

Cal Poly’s Center for Coastal Marine Sciences won a scientific competition for a $720,000 state grant to help improve how California manages its near-shore fishing grounds.

For the first time, a key species is ranking high on the agenda of International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) this year, another of the world’s most majestic, most commercially valuable – and most exploited – marine species: the Mediterranean swordfish.

THE Ria de Pontevedra razor clam fishery and the Ria de Arosa clam and cockle fishery have announced tthat they will enter full assessment under the Marine Stewardship Council's (MSC) certification and eco-labeling programme for sustainable and well-managed fisheries.

SHARK Fin could  be about to start disappearing from the world's menus following two key decisions to ban shark fin products.

Speaking during a fisheries debate in the House of Commons yesterday (Tuesday) SNP Westminster Fisheries spokesperson Eilidh Whiteford urged the UK Government to learn from the abject failure of the CFP and prioritise an approach that puts regional management at its heart.

The Hunter and Morrison Trust is a charity which was established in 1980 to promote the development of the fisheries industries in Shetland for the benefit of the Shetland community, honouring local entrepreneurs, Geordie Hunter and Alex Morrison, both of whom made a significant contribution to Shetland during their lives.

Collaborative teams of fishermen, resource managers and scientists are invited to apply for funds to conduct applied research on California fisheries during the 2012–2014 biennium.

The IFM warmly welcomes the content of the proposed reforms to the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and the Common Organisation of the Markets (CMO) in Fishery and Aquaculture Products.

The Scottish Government is seeking support from the EU and Norway to expand its innovative scheme that cuts cod discards while allowing fishermen to land more fish.

THE fishing and seafood industry's discussion on the long term  future of Seafish this autumn is now nearing completion.

Scottish Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead is set for key talks in Brussels with Commissioner Dacian Ciolos and DEFRA Secretary of State Caroline Spelman today, Monday November 14.

Harbour development project among the recipients of European Fisheries Fund grants.

Oceana, the largest international advocacy group working solely to protect the world’s oceans, is seeking protections for sharks and swordfish at the 22nd Regular Meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), which begins today in Istanbul, Turkey.

Life could be about to get easier for shipping companies, port authorities, ferry operators and those who simply use our seas for pleasure after Shipping Minister Mike Penning began work that could see Maritime red tape slashed.

A giant fish, representing the thousands of people who have signed the WWF Scotland ‘More Fish’ petition was today (Thurs) sent from Holyrood to Brussels, as the European Parliament continues to debate reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

Skipper Expo International Galway 2012
February 24th & 25th, 2012.
Galway Bay Hotel, Salthill, Galway, Ireland

A NEW campaign has been launched to persuade more Irish fishermen to wear their lifejackets while at sea.

The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation is underlining that good progress is being made in the recovery of fish stocks and that public opinion should not be swayed by “doom mongers” who continually talk down the state of fish stocks by using “worst case statistics”.

Banff & Buchan MP Dr Eilidh Whiteford has urged the UK Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon to “push CFP negotiations as far as possible”.

EUROPE'S fishermen are bringing back unwanted, discard catches of a quite different kind - and it is damaging the seas and marine life, Maria Damanaki has said.

JAPAN has arrested another Chinese trawler for alleged illegal fishing, but this time the two countries are playing down the incident.

Commenting on the first ever Irish Discards Atlas, which was launched today, Minister Simon Coveney said: “Ireland has now taken the lead in the debate on discards and this Atlas will inform the process to achieve real change and a significant reduction in discarding within the new Common Fisheries Policy”. 

The Federation of Irish Fishermen has welcomed the publication by the Marine Institute (MI) and Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) of the "Atlas of Demersal Discarding, An Atlas of Discarding Profiles by the Irish Demersal Fleet with a Toolbox of Mitigation Measures" and its launch today by Minister Simon Coveney.

The skipper of Grimsby-based fishing vessel ‘Karen’, that grounded on rocks at Ardglass, has pleaded guilty to the charge of endangering his ship and crew.

HUGH'S Fish Fight, the acclaimed TV series which highlighted the scandal of fish discards, has picked up more top honours.

GUERNSEY has signed a fisheries management agreement (FMA) with the UK Government which means that the Channel island Bailiwick now has control of fishing 12 miles (19km) off its shoreline.

The Seafood Coalition, a broad national coalition of commercial fishing interests, seafood processors, and coastal communities that includes members from every region of the U.S. and accounts for about 85 percent of the fish and shellfish products landed annually in the U.S, is united in opposition to the Administration's new National Oceans Policy regulatory regime.

Major companies in the Blue Swimming Crab market continue their sustainability efforts with a new policy that will restrict the purchasing of female crabs bearing eggs or “berried” females.

The dreadful waste of thousands of tonnes of dead fish being thrown back into the sea every day could be stopped if fishermen are required to count all the fish they catch as part of their quota, pioneering UK trials have shown.

High sea temperature severely reduces appetite and growth rates in farmed salmon, according to National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research in Norway.

TOBERMORY RNLI’s all weather lifeboat launched on Friday evening to assist a fishing vessel with engine failure off the Isle of Coll.

The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation is urging the UK and Scottish Governments to do all in their power to persuade the EC to ditch automatic cuts in the number of days that fishing vessels can go to sea next year.

SAM Lambourn, former president of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations, has signed off as chairman of the North West Regional Advisory Council, full of praise for the work of such councils (RACs), saying they were helping to foster international co-operation and decentralise the Common Fisheries Policy.

AN early sign of wintry conditions has appeared on some of the Icelandic fishing grounds which may not bode well for supplies in the next few weeks. At the moment fewer than 100 of Iceland's vessels are at sea because of the weather.

SNP MSP for the South of Scotland Dr Aileen McLeod today (Thursday) welcomed the news that Area VII, which includes the important Irish Sea cockle fishery reopened at midnight last night (Thursday November 3), having been closed for a month.

The MP for the West Cornwall and Isles of Scilly constituency of St Ives, Andrew George, is urging Fisheries Minister, Richard Benyon MP, to give Cornish fishermen the right to manage their own fishing stocks.

English fishing communities struggling to survive could benefit from a new cooperative scheme to keep England’s inshore fishing fleet afloat.

Lymington lifeboat volunteers were at sea for five hours last night after a fishing vessel hauled in an unusual catch in its nets off Milford-on-Sea at about 5.30pm: a submerged yacht on the sea bed.

THE authorities on the coast of North West England have cracked down on unlicensed cockle fishing after a series of rescues involving people who were risking their lives.

NORWAY'S Fisheries Minister Lisbeth Berg-Hansen has decided to change the quota arrangements to encourage fishing vessel owners to speed up the modernisation of the fleet.

NORWAY must exploit its fishing industry to the full, Lisbeth Berg-Hansen, the country's Fisheries Minister has said.

For the first time ever at a UK fishing event, fishermen attending the Fishing UK 2012 exhibition in Glasgow, Scotland, will have a unique opportunity to view the innovative range of ultrasonic transducers and sensing technology from Airmar Technology Corporation of the USA. 

In crucial meetings to be held over the next two days the Scottish Fisheries Secretary will call for a pause in cuts to the days at sea allowed to fishermen.

HUNDREDS of Icelanders have queued to visit their new symbol of naval power - the new fishery protection cruiser Thor.

THE now '"desperate situation" faced by fishing vessels subject to the EU Cod Management Plan was top of the list at a recent NFFO executive committee meeting in York.

Most Alaska fishermen know that top quality seafood—and top prices for their catch—begins with properly chilling their harvest aboard their vessels while at sea.

The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation is vigorously opposing the automatic reduction in the number of days that fishing vessels can put to sea that is set to come into force in 2012 under European regulations.

IT could be the ultimate fish horror story - a three-eyed wolf fish has been caught close to a nuclear power station in Argentina!

EUROPE'S Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki issued a statement at the weekend with a stark warning that the world's seas are in crisis.

FISH which once would have been thrown back into the sea because it was over the quota limit may in future be distributed to charities, the Commons was told.

AN important Spanish fishing delegation arrived in Grimsby yesterday seeking to strengthen trade connections with the port.

The Atlantic Lobster Sustainability Foundation has announced a new annual investment in a graduate scholarship programme to support talented Masters and PhD candidates who are pursuing lobster research.

A conference on new thinking in the science and management of marine fisheries
Fishmongers’ Hall, London, Monday 31st October 2011, 0900 -1700.

CONAD, a leading Italian supermarket chain, has chosen to rely on Friend of the Sea, a non-profit organisation, in order to certify its suppliers of farmed sea bass, sea bream, turbot and trout.

THE Scottish White Fish Producers Association (SWFPA) is calling on the Scottish Government to stand firm against further proposed cuts in the number of days that vessels can go to sea.

“The oceans around Africa offer massive potential, from commercial fishing and maritime trade to offshore oil and gas development. Maritime opportunities form the focus of the co-located Fish & Marine Africa 2012 and Oil & Gas Africa 2012 trade exhibitions.

THE US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has taken emergency action to increase the amount of skate that fishermen can land this year from 31 million to 48 million pounds, - or 15,500 tons to 24,000 tons  - based on new scientific information which shows an increase in the overall skate population.

THEY are just a few miles apart and share a common culture and a common heritage - but the Channel islands of Jersey and Guernsey look like they could fall out over fishing rights.

Toronto City councillors have voted to adopt a city-wide shark fin ban, becoming the largest city in Canada to prohibit the sale of shark fin.

BIG cuts in salmon catches have been agreed among EU member states as they unveiled details of the amount of fish that can be taken from the Baltic Sea next year.

A POTENTIALLY sharp fishing dispute has flared up between Norway and Russia.

A POTENTIALLY sharp fishing dispute has flared up between Norway and Russia.

A POTENTIALLY sharp fishing dispute has flared up between Norway and Russia.

SEVERAL important fishing projects at ports from Yorkshire and the Humber to Cornwall have been able to go-ahead, thanks to grants totalling £560,000 from the European Fisheries Fund and the Marine Management Organisation during the past five months, it was announced at the weekend.

TALKS to try to find a solution to the  EU and Norway mackerel dispute with Iceland and the Faroe Islands are going into their second week.

The SFF has welcomed today's announcement by EC Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki in Luxembourg that the Commission intends to ditch the automatic mechanism where quotas are cut by 25 per cent for stocks where there is inadequate data on their status.

The NFFO South West Committee elected John Butterwith as its new chairman at its meeting on 19th October, replacing Rob Penfold who stands down after leading the committee for the last three years.

Leading seafaring charity the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society has officially launched its annual Christmas Card Appeal with the help of the Mayor of Chichester, Councillor Tony French.

The Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, has welcomed the commitment by the EU Fisheries’ Commissioner to rethink her previously stated policy of applying automatic and arbitrary cuts of 25 per cent to a swathe of fish stocks, in the absence of full scientific information.

Scottish Fisheries Minister Richard Lochhead said: "This meeting between Scottish, UK and Irish Ministers to discuss the mackerel crisis was very productive and we will work together on this issue as we move forward.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, met on Friday, the UK Fisheries’ Minister, Richard Banyon, who was accompanied by the Scottish and Welsh Fisheries’ Ministers, Richard Lochhead and Alun Davies.

Leading figures from the Scottish fishing sector were in Gibraltar yesterday (20 October), making the case for a continuation of the EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement (FPA).

HB GRANDI, one of Iceland's largest pelagic fishing companies, has welcomed the large increase in the blue whiting catch quota for next year, but says it is disappointed there is not a larger catch quota for Atlanto-Scandian herring. Iceland itself is to get a 63,477 ton share of that new blue whiting quota.

Seafish, the authority on seafood, has awarded £15,000 from its Industry Project Fund (IPF) to the Shellfish Association of Great Britain (SAGB) to produce a report detailing the issues pertaining to Pacific oyster cultivation in the UK.

A KOREAN fishing vessel at the centre of crew abuse claims has been allowed to leave New Zealand more than two months after she was arrested.

The Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society, one of the oldest charities providing financial support to former seafarers, is officially launching its ‘Celebrations of the Sea’ exhibition at Brighton Sea Life Centre today (20 October), marking the world’s first photography exhibition underwater.

THE total catch of Icelandic vessels last month was 105,755 tonnes compared to 93,764 tonnes in September 2010.

EUROPEAN Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki has told a Norwegian fishing audience that what is happening in the Arctic will have serious consequences for the European Union and the rest of the world.

Negotiations to seek international agreement on mackerel fishing.

The first phase of a new round of talks to try and break the deadlock over mackerel catching opportunities in the north-east Atlantic will begin in London tomorrow (19 October).

EUROPEAN Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki is attempting to persuade countries bordering the Black Sea to introduce EU style fishing regulations and controls.

BIM, the Irish Sea Fisheries Board, has launched a new guide on brown crab handling and quality.

On Wednesday 19 October 2011 the coastal states of EU, Norway, Faroe Islands and Iceland will resume their negotiations on a future arrangement to manage the North East Atlantic mackerel stock.

Seafarers UK welcomes Jos Standerwick in new corporate role.

Seafish, the authority on seafood, has announced that it will be supporting the four Fisheries Administrations in landmark open discussions about the future of Seafish, to run during autumn 2011.

At the ‘Salmon Summit’ in La Rochelle, French scientists confirmed that wild Atlantic salmon were dying at sea in alarming numbers.  Southern stocks, including some in North America and Europe, are threatened with extinction.

FISHERMEN in the Tauranga area of New Zealand are anxiously watching  the effects of an oil spill from a stranded container ship which ran aground on a reef in the area a week ago.

Red king crabs are highly cannibalistic, which is a problem for mass culture and may reduce post-release survival.

Struan Stevenson MEP, in his capacity as a rapporteur on a key legislative part of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), has submitted a series of written questions to the European Commission’s Legal Services department, seeking clarity on crucial aspects of the reforms.

NORWAY and Russian have agreed new fishing catch limits  for the Barents Sea for next year - and the quota for cod for the two countries is a massive 751,000 tons- an increase of eight per cent.

FISHING companies in Norway have been looking at the possibility of using natural gas as a fuel for their trawlers.

WITH the herring fishing season under way, Icelandic skippers have been reporting that pair trawling has become the most efficient method of catching.

SEAFISH has unveiled a new campaign called ‘Fish is the Dish’ which specifically targets mothers  and makes optimum use of cost-effective digital marketing techniques.

PLANS to shape the future of the European Union cod management plan have come under fire.

The number of Friend of the Sea’s certified pole and line tuna fisheries is increasing worldwide.

THE important South-west committee of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations meets in Exeter later this month with a number of pressing issues on its agenda.

EUROPEAN Fisheries Minister Maria Damanaki has this week started on a hectic round of meetings and visits to sell her Common Fisheries Policy reform message.

NORWEGIAN fishing leaders have welcomed recommendations for  near tenfold increase in the blue whiting quota announced for next year.

PRESSURE is growing on the Icelandic Government to take another look at its controversial plans to reform its country's fishing quota structure.

SIX fishermen were this weekend breathing a sigh of relief after being snatched to safety in what was a textbook rescue operation  from their sinking vessel off the North West Coast of Ireland.

Seafish has organised a free demonstration day to illustrate the operation of the new Seafish Succorfish global vessel tracking technology.

Celebrities Back ‘Celebrations of the Sea’ As Unique Exhibition of Underwater Images is Unveiled.

It has been one of Australia's more bizarre fishing stories in recent weeks - reports of diseased fish and  fishermen breaking out in boils and lesions.

Scotland is about to enter a crunch and potentially historic year for its fishing industry, Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead said yesterday, Thursday.

The European Parliament's Fisheries Committee has confirmed the appointment of Scottish Conservative MEP Struan Stevenson as its rapporteur or draftsman on one of the three main legislative reports of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) reform package.

The Scottish fishing industry is keen to further develop its already strong relationships with marine scientists to ensure that there is as much data as possible about the health of our fish stocks so as to ensure the implementation of effective management plans to ensure a sustainable future.

On September 28th, Seafish held the first of a new series of market data workshops for industry.

THE Faroe Islands has closed its controversial mackerel fishery for this year after taking more than 120,000 tons - much to the anger of Scottish fishermen. Iceland also completed its self-declared quota last month.

MALLAIG Harbour, on Scotland’s west coast, has had a bumper year for shellfish catches, with provisional figures showing the total raised has increased by half a million pounds on last year.

The Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) will join 130 salmon scientists and managers from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean in La Rochelle, France from October 11 to 13.

THE UK's National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations Shellfish Committee has just adopted a defined policy on the crab and lobster fisheries, following a recent meeting in Derby attended by a wide range of port representatives.

The European Commission has called on Italy to take measures and comply with a two-year-old  Court of Justice ruling on Italy's continued illegal use of drift-nets.

THE way European fishing aid is doled out to various countries and companies has come under a twin-pronged attack from two leading environmental groups.

Alex Seafood (PVT) Ltd yellowfin tuna and swordfish have been certified Friend of the Sea.

EUROPE'S Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki has delivered an impassioned plea outlining why changes to the Common Fisheries Policy are so vital.

THE "killer" shrimp could be on its way to the Humber - close to the centre of Britain's seafood processing industry.

A MAJOR campaign has been launched to save the iconic Cromer Crab Company plant in North Norfolk from closure.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) publishes its annual UK Sea Fisheries Statistics 2010 report today, which shows an increase in both the quantity and value of fish landed by the UK fleet.

OPPOSITION is rapidly mounting in parts of  the UK  to the European Commission's fish catch proposals for next year - with some of the biggest fears being expressed by Northern Ireland fishermen.

THE fishing industry in South East England must prepare itself for a dialogue with fisheries managers at individual site level on marine protection zones.

EUROPE'S Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki, yesterday described new EU proposals on fish stocks in the North Sea and Atlantic as "a reform to deliver a fisheries policy fit for the future".

Scottish National Party President Ian Hudghton MEP has criticised the European Commission's proposals for fishing quotas for 2012.

Scottish Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead has criticised the European Commission for proposing a 'meagre' increase in West Coast haddock fishing quotas, which will lead to an increase in discards due to proposals being far lower than advised by scientists.

Oil and gas platforms could be serving as beneficial habitats for commercially important fish populations such as cod and haddock, a marine ecologist will report today (Tuesday, September 27) at a major conference in Aberdeen.

A GROUP of Danes are hoping they can persuade Somali pirates to abandon their hi-jacking of ships off the Horn of Africa by making them take up fishing instead.

VIETNAM and Russia have become the two latest countries to seek closer co-operation with Iceland - and its fishing expertise.

The safety equipment carried on fishing vessel ‘Islander’ proved its worth yestrday evening, Monday September 26, after it was used to alert rescue services after the vessel capsized in rough weather.

Decisions must be made on safety, not cost-cutting grounds.

Seafish, the authority on seafood, has announced autumn dates for landmark discussions about the future of Seafish, in support of the four Fisheries Administrations.

Research being presented at the World Conference on Marine Biodiversity in Aberdeen tomorrow (27 September 2011) will report a global estimate of the impact of longline fisheries on seabirds and reveals that, despite efforts to reduce seabird deaths, upwards of 300,000 birds are still being killed every year.

THE Norwegian Government is due to work on plans to undertake a wide ranging strategic review of its fishing and aquaculture policy.

An independent review by an international panel of experts assessed the performance of Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) and their findings and recommendations were presented at NAFO Annual Meeting in Halifax, Canada, last week.

The annual meeting of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada saw the adoption of an interim plan tabled by Canada for cod recovery on the Grand Banks. This plan, promoted by WWF, is a step towards recovery of this depleted fishery.

The 2011 Icelandic Fisheries Awards were presented at a reception last night (22 September 2011) hosted by the Icelandic Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, Jón Bjarnason and the Mayor of Kópavogur, Guđrun Pálsdóttir.

The Icelandic Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, Jón Bjarnason, formally opened the Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition in Smárinn, Kópavogur on Thursday, 22 September 2011.

An historic event took place at the Marine Institute in Galway on Friday 23rd September when two EU Commissioners - Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Máire Geoghegan-Quinn and Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Maria Damanaki -  visited the facility to discuss key policy areas and priorities in marine science and innovation.

An international gathering of marine scientists, MPA managers, conservationists, fishermen and anglers begins in Devon today (Monday 26th September 2011) with the aim of improving the way we protect our seas.

The Association of Salmon Fishery Boards (ASFB) has welcomed today’s publication by Scottish Government of the official 2010 catch statistics for salmon, confirming that the rod catch for 2010 was the highest since consistent records began in 1952.

Seafish, the authority on seafood, has awarded £23,750 from its Industry Project Fund (IPF) to the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas) for trials on the purification of oysters to identify ways of reducing the norovirus content of live bivalve molluscs.

Scotland's Chief Statistician today published the salmon and sea trout fishery statistics for the 2010 season http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/science/Publications/stats/SalmonSeaTroutCatches

Greenpeace has today urged the Taiwanese government to reduce its tuna fishing fleet in the Pacific, after activists on board the Greenpeace ship Esperanza witnessed Taiwanese-owned ship Li Chyun No. 2 hauling a shark on board, one of many non-target species also caught with destructive tuna fishing methods.

Pat the Cope Gallagher MEP  met yesterday with the EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Maria Damanaki in Dublin.

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Richard Lochhead MSP and Dave Thompson, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, have today welcomed the move from Sainsbury's to source freshly caught langoustines from fishermen off the West Coast of Scotland.

THE Icelandic sculptor who designed the stolen fishing memorial in Hull has now offered to help with an identical replacement.

As the Scottish Parliament prepares to debate the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) today (Thursday) WWF Scotland urges MSPs to commit to supporting reform that is ambitious and progressive.

Europe must not squander this opportunity to reform the ‘disastrous’ Common Fisheries Policy and ensure the industry can look forward to a prosperous future, Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead has said.

The 10th Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition has been formally opened today, 22 September, in Smárinn, Kópavogur, Iceland.  More than 500 exhibitors from 34 countries are taking part in the exhibition, a similar number to the last exhibition in 2008.

Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has welcomed the two-day visit to Ireland of Maria Damanaki,  the European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.

The Scottish White Fish Producers Association (SWFPA) has issued a statement welcoming the successful conclusion of bilateral discussions between the EU and Russia in Moscow on the management of Rockall haddock.

The Isle of Man Queenie Management Board yesterday confirmed that member-vessels had agreed to a voluntary Tie-Up Scheme, across the whole of the Irish Sea, to safeguard the Queenie Stock, which was facing unprecedented levels of fishing effort.

BRITAIN'S shell fishermen now look almost certain to face a cap on their fishing activities within the next couple of years, but at the moment they don't know precisely what form it will take.

Scots fishermen have been spearheading a range of initiatives to reduce the problem of discarding of fish at sea - including the use of more selective types of nets and real time fishing closures.

Northeast Atlantic Ocean fish stocks are already shifting due to warming waters, harming some fish stocks but benefiting others, according to research published in Current Biology.

FRESH  from her successful US tour European Union Fisheries Commissioner is flying to Ireland this week to discuss issues surrounding proposal to reform the Common Fisheries Policy.

THE European Commission has tabled its proposal on fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2012.

A RETURN to the sea can generate new jobs for young people and ensure Europe's food security through fish, European Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki told an American audience.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) says it will be attending the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization’s (NAFO) annual meeting being held in Halifax, Nova Scotia from September 19-23, this year to call for more action on cod recovery and protection for vulnerable marine ecosystems.

A new, hi-tech global tracking device that could revolutionise the way the commercial fishing industry operates is to be officially launched following a series of successful trials across the South West of England.

Scottish Liberal Democrat Fisheries spokesperson Jim Hume MSP has raised the important issue of fish discards at the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee (14/09/11).

Over £430 million worth of fish was landed in Scotland last year, according to the latest statistics which are published today.

A ‘training the trainers’ day using the Sea Fish Industry Authority’s new First Aid at Sea course has been held in Aberdeen.

JOHN West, whose tinned salmon has been a familiar sight on Sunday tea tables for decades, is this month rolling out a new range of pole and line sourced tuna products as part of its sustainability drive.

A TEAM of leading marine scientists from around the world is recommending an end to most commercial fishing in the deep sea, the Earth’s largest ecosystem. Instead, they recommend fishing in more productive waters nearer to consumers.

UK Liberal Democrat MEP Andrew Duff  and at least one-tenth of the whole European Parliament have tabled a resolution to refer the controversial EU - Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement to the European Court of Justice for an opinion on its legality under the EU Treaties and international law.

A DETAILED new report on the state of Iceland's economy says it is well placed for recovery due in large part to the country's fishing assets.

Fishermen from West Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly who met Government Minister, Richard Benyon MP, at Defra headquarters today said that they were pleased with the outcome.

Direct Seafoods, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bidvest Group, today launched the “Coastal Fish” campaign to help Britain’s troubled local fishermen and save endangered fish stocks. The campaign will encourage the UK’s top chefs and the British public to try many types of fish, some of which may be new to them.

Oceana has published a report on what it says are the true amount of subsidies provided to the fishing sector by the European Union (EU) and its Member States.

Plans for Fishing UK 2012 25th anniversary unveiled.

A delegation of cove fishermen from West Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly will meeting Fisheries Minister, Richard Benyon MP, in Westminster today, Tuesday 13th September 2011 at 1.15 pm, to urge the Minister not to go ahead with damaging policy changes.

The first and only Almanac specifically produced for commercial fishermen, the Reeds Fishermen's Almanac provides fishing vessel owners, skippers and crew with a dedicated fishing-oriented almanac.

Key role of fish 'taste tests' following North Sea oil leak.

The Association of Salmon Fishery Boards (ASFB) and Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland (RAFTS) have today launched new, updated websites: www.asfb.org.uk and www.rafts.org.uk.

THE United States and Europe have signed a joint agreement to clamp down on illegal and unregulated fishing.

THE seafood industry should not ignore social changes because they often had an impact on its future, Angus Garratt from Seafish told the Humber Seafood Conference.

THE Marine Protection Area Fishing Coalition has expressed serious reservations about the site selection for the marine coastal zones announced last week.

Activists from the Greenpeace ship Esperanza have called for Pacific Ocean marine reserves to help protect tuna stocks by protesting alongside and aboard a Taiwanese tuna boat fishing in international waters between French Polynesia and the Cook Islands.

Hugh Bonner MD of Mara Media has stated that after considering feedback from exhibitors and visitors to the inaugral “Scottish Skipper Expo  2011” show, it has been decided to evolve the exhibition to make it more of an international event, while maintaining the superb location, AECC Aberdeen.

THE National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations say their new online survey system will open a new era for fishermen’s knowledge.

Northern Ireland’s Lough Neagh eels have become the region’s first food to win EU protected legal status against imitators.

Conservation for the UK’s marine environment took a big step forward yeerstday [Thursday 8th September] as the four regional groups of sea users that form the ‘Marine Conservation Zone Project’ published their final recommendations for new Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs).

Scottish Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead held a productive meeting yesterday with members of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen's Association, to discuss the continuing situation of the mackerel stock being overfished by the Faroe Islands and Iceland.

EXPERTS from around the world are in Spain this week to further develop the framework for nations to fairly allocate rights to fish for tuna, which swim through national and international waters.

Following the oil leak at Shell's Gannet platform in the North Sea last month, Scottish Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead will on Monday (September 12) meet with the marine scientists carrying out analysis to assess the impact of hydrocarbons on fish in the vicinity of the spill.

NOAA Fisheries has released its Fisheries of the United States 2010 report.

THOUSANDS of square miles of fishing and sea area have been listed by the government to be protected in new marine conservation zones.

EUROPE'S Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki has set off for the United States to seek greater trans-Atlantic co-operation on a number of key  fishing and maritime issues.

Coastal fishing communities throughout the circumpolar north are in the midst of rapid social and environmental change.

Seafish, the authority on seafood, has today announced that its Industry Project Fund (SIPF), worth up to £1 million, is once again open for new applications from those with innovative ideas benefiting the seafood industry.

A 19-metre fishing vessel ran aground off the Island of Stromma in the Pentland Firth early this morning, with five crew aboard.

Comercial Pernas S.L. is now trading Yellowfin and albacore tuna from approved Friend of the Sea vessels.

International certification scheme for sustainable fishing and aquaculture products.

THE ever-vigilant National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations is gearing up for an extremely busy autumn on a number of important issues affecting its members.

For only the second time in the Mission’s 130-year long history, the Mission Council, the Charity’s governing body, held a Council meeting in Scotland on Thursday 1st September.

WHITE fish prices are excellent, herring returns have been “astonishing” and prospects for the newly open mackerel fishery are very encouraging.

Seafish, the authority on seafood, has announced that it will be supporting Defra and the Devolved Fisheries Administrations in an open discussion about the future of Seafish, to run during autumn 2011.

THE European Commission will host their one-day seminar on the state of fish stocks in European waters on September 8.

ICELAND'S trawler companies are coming to the end of their controversial mackerel season. They have been given a quota of around 146,000 tonnes this year which has caused anger in Norway and among some EU countries which claim that such high catches are damaging the stock.

A SENIOR figure in the Norwegian Fishing Vessel Owners Association has criticised Iceland and the Faroe Islands over its mackerel policy, describing it as pirate fishing.

New link up sees design students work alongside marine scientists.

OFFICIAL figures show that the Icelandic fleet landed significantly less fish last year, although overall value rose.

THE National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations has said that twelve words have rocked the foundations of the EU Cod Management Plan and have undermined the whole basis of the EU’s strategy for rebuilding the cod stocks in the North Sea, Irish Sea and West of Scotland.

The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation is to host a visit to Peterhead of the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICE) tomorrow (31 August) to enhance their understanding of the key issues facing the fishing industry.

ICELAND'S fishing vessel owners, with the support of other business organisations, have made a strong appeal to the government to think again about plans to reform the country's fishing quota system.

Greenpeace has launched an international effort to bully grocery stores over sustainability, this time targeting canned tuna.

A Scots fishing charity is once again helping fund the fisheries managers and marine scientists of tomorrow.

HB Grandi, one of Iceland's main pelagic fishing companies, has said most of the mackerel it is catching and processing is now going for human consumption and not for fish meal or oil as has been the case in the past.

A 37-year-old man died on Thursday after becoming unwell on board a fishing vessel in the North Sea.

New statistics published today by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) show an increase in the quantity and value of fish landed by the UK fleet in 2010 compared with 2009.

AN ordinary fan heater, but badly fitted, was the major contributor to the deaths of three fishermen in Fraserburgh Harbour, Scotland, almost exactly three years ago, an official inquiry has found.

NEW Zealand is to hold an official inquiry into the mis-treatment of fishing crews on foreign-owned vessels operating around its shores.

A BRONZE statue commemorating the memory of thousands of Hull fishermen who were lost at sea during the past 100 years, which was stolen a month ago, will be replaced next year, the city has pledged.

Despite the reduction in the hake biomass over the years due to fishing, the larvae survival rate grew aided by sea warming. This is one of the main findings of an investigation by Nerea Goikoetxea, from the fishing laboratory Azti-Tecnalia.

ABERDEEN councillors have given their backing to work to try to draw down cash from the £4.5 million European Fisheries Fund’s Axis 4 resource.

EXPLORATORY talks between officials from Iceland, Norway and the European Union have been held to try to find a solution to the ongoing mackerel dispute.

ICELAND has said that no fin whales will be caught around its shores this year, blaming the collapse of the Japanese whalemeat market following the devastating earthquake over four months ago.

THE growing fishing community in  Bridlington on the East Yorkshire Coast are get get their own health trainer to help steer them back to a more healthy lifestyle.

A NEW study by scientists has established that the waters around Scotland are in good condition and should be able to survive the rising levels of carbon dioxide which are causing serious problems in other parts of the world.

A major international conference gets underway this week in Stirling. From 23rd to 27th August experts from all over the world will debate current thinking around the future of shellfish – a resource that has been under appreciated for too long – and particularly what can be done to restore Scottish oyster populations in the Forth.

The status of the different Baltic herring stocks is more variable. For herring in the central Baltic, ICES recommends a TAC of no more than 92,000 tonnes which would imply a 23 percent cut in the current quota. A similar decrease is advised for herring in the Gulf of Riga: 22 percent reduction, or 25,500 tonnes. Western Baltic herring sees a three  per cent cut, while no change is suggested for herring in the Bothnian Sea and Bothnian Bay (managed jointly) in the north.

NORWAY'S fishing industry has welcomed the news that a so-called MOX ( mixed oxide fuel) plant at Sellafield on the Cumbrian Coast is to close.

AN official investigation has found that a  big French stern trawler  grounded off the West  of Scotland  after her skipper fell asleep.

NEW Zealand is this weekend embroiled in a debate over the fate of two Asian fishing crews who walked off their trawlers complaining they had been abused and mistreated.

Seafish commences annual fleet economic survey   

 

Fieldwork has just begun for the annual Seafish Financial Report of the UK Fishing Fleet and staff from Seafish are gearing up to meet vessel owners around the country.

 

Survey staff from Seafish, the authority on seafood, will cover every region of the UK in the next couple of months, interviewing skippers and vessel owners as part of the study.

 

Hazel Curtis, Chief Economist at Seafish, said: “This important annual survey provides a detailed overview of the financial performance of different sectors of the UK fleet and a personal financial benchmark report for skippers who supply us with a copy of their vessel accounts.

 

New control measures for mobile gear fishing - dredging and trawling - in Luce Bay in the South West of Scotland are being consulted on by the Scottish Government.

THE National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations has accused Defra of failing to address any of the substantive criticisms it has made in the fishing vessel nationality transfer row.

AS a result of ongoing monitoring, control and surveillance by the Irish Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA), a fishing vessel was inspected at sea and detained by the Irish Navy and brought to port.

THE more fuel efficient the fishing vessel - the higher the profits - that is the view of a new European Commission report out recently.

A judge at Newport, Isle of Wight Crown Court, has imposed financial penalties totalling £25,650 on a father and son for having an unregistered fishing boat. His Honour Judge Richard Price, also ordered the confiscation of the unregistered fishing vessel.

THE Scottish White Fish Producers Association (SWFPA) says it is outraged at the contents of a letter from the EU Fisheries Commissioner to Scottish MEP, Struan Stevenson on the subject of West of Scotland haddock.

ANGER IS growing over claims that some sections of the English and Northern Irish fishing industry may be placed under Scottish control.

Twenty five young people from Cornwall’s fishing community have been equipped with essential lifesaving skills following the success of a new, one day ‘sea safety’ course developed and delivered by Seafood Cornwall Training, Cornwall’s dedicated Fish Industry Training School based in Newlyn.

The owner and the master of a Dutch fishing vessel have been fined £51,000 (EUR 58,549)  after a Royal Navy patrol ship caught the vessel with nets illegally adapted to catch baby fish.

THE Japanese authorities have released two Chinese trawler skippers after they were arrested for alleged illegal fishing on Friday.
This was the second fishing related flare-up between the two countries in just over a month. This time the vessels were not escorted into port, but negotiations were held while they were under detention at sea. According  to Japanese sources, the skippers admitted illegal fishing

This week Representatives Jon Runyan (NJ-3), Walter Jones (NC-3), and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-18) introduced the “Saving Fishing Jobs Act of 2011", legislation which seeks to hold the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) accountable for fisheries management programmes called catch shares that have been detrimental to fishermen throughout the Eastern and Gulf Coasts.

LERWICK Harbour is meeting the expectation of a busy year, with figures released yesterday for the first six months showing increases in cargo, oil-related cargo, passenger traffic and the tonnage of vessels handled.

THE National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations (NFFO) has reported on the most recent meeting of the fishing industry-Defra working group charged with developing solutions to the quota problems facing parts of the under 10m fleet.

RISING sea temperatures appear to be pushing mackerel shoals further to the East of Iceland, according to one of the main trawler companies fishing for the species.

THE National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations has admitted that it is baffled by the failure of the cod stock in the Irish Sea to respond to some fairly tough conservation measures. It also says the situation has parallels with the west of Scotland cod stock.

New research from independent think-tank nef  (the New Economics Foundation) reveals that the UK has, from just one cod stock, thrown away enough fish to support 711 jobs for 46 years.

NORWAY yesterday formally banned all mackerel and mackerel products from Iceland and the Faroe Islands in protest at the two countries' self-declared fishing quotas.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is calling for extra vigilance from the fishing industry to ensure they do not catch bluefin tuna.

25th anniversary celebration donation from SFF Services Ltd gives five youngsters the opportunity of a lifetime to sail on tall ship Lord Nelson.

The public rebuke of the irresponsible mackerel fishing practices of Iceland and the Faroes by the European Commission and Norway has been welcomed by the Scottish Government.

SCOTLAND’S Loch Torridon langoustine (Nephrops) fishery has withdrawn from the MSC programme.

Scots fishermen welcome joint statement from EC Commissioner and Norwegian fisheries minister on North Atlantic mackerel fisheries

A deadly virus has managed to kill half of France’s oysters this year. Oyster production has dropped by 30 per cent because of a very aggressive form of herpes.

The port authorities of Maddalena in Sardegna, Italy, have found some one thousand administrative violations relating to bluefin tuna.

RICHARD LOCHEAD STATEMENT ON EU MACKEREL MEETING.

Scotland’s innovative approach to ensuring the fishing industry and marine environment have a sustainable future is being taken to Europe today (27 July).

A FIVE -point plan to bring Iceland and the Faroe Islands to heel over its mackerel policy, including an all-out ban on any fish products from those two countries, was presented to the European Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki yesterday.

A GROUP of ex-Hull trawlermen have appealed to thieves to return a six-foot high statue dedicated to the memory of the thousands of fishermen from the city who have died at sea over the past 100 years.

Visitors at the 2011 Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition will have the opportunity to view products and services from exhibitors from over 27 countries including Australia, Canada, China, India, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Turkey and the USA.

THE Marine Management Organisation is looking for people interested in shaping the management of inshore fisheries and conservation of the Northumberland and North West coasts of England.

Scottish fishermen will be represented at key meetings in Brussels tomorrow (Tuesday 26 July) involving the EU and Norwegian pelagic industries and EU fisheries commissioner Maria Damanaki to discuss the current extremely serious mackerel situation, with the Faroes and Iceland continuing to plunder the stock with immunity.

Seafish, the authority on seafood, has awarded the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) a total of £40,740 from its Industry Project Fund (IPF) to fund the services of a Marine Environment & Planning Legislation Consultant.

NORWEGIAN Fisheries Minister Lisbeth Berg-Hansen is meeting with the EU Fisheries Commissioner, Maria Damanaki in Brussels to discuss the prolonged mackerel conflict involving the EU, Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands.

DESPITE the furore in Scotland and the rest of Europe, almost the entire Icelandic pelagic fleet is this week busy fishing for mackerel and making little secret of the fact.

THE National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations has a new chairman -  Paul Trebilcock, who is also chief executive of the Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation.

Seafish, the authority on seafood, has awarded £4,000 from its Industry Project Fund (IPF) to the Shellfish Association of Great Britain (SAGB) to produce five new online videos of how to prepare key shellfish species.

THE United States has threatened to impose trade sanctions against Iceland for increasing its whale hunting quota - and it could  include a ban on Icelandic fish imports to America.

THE National Federation of Fishermen's Organisation has just completed a constructive meeting with the Marine Management Organisation, raising  a number of concerns affecting its members.

FISHING leaders  in Ireland have warned that overfishing of mackerel by Iceland and the Faroe Islands is putting up to 1,500  fishing jobs at risk.

SEAFISH back to its old buoyant self, giving  several innovative  fishing related projects and businesses  a £700,000 shot in the arm  through its  Industry Project Fund (IPF).

THE alleged plundering of mackerel stocks around Iceland and the Faroe Islands is expected to be high on the agenda when EU fisheries meet in the next few days.

BBC2 is looking for a Fisherman to take part in the second series of the current affairs documentary: Toughest place to be…a Fisherman.

A GROUP of fishing related MPs have been jointly briefed by the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation and the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations on this week's European fishing reform proposals and what they could mean for the UK fishing industry.

DEVON fishermen has expressed dismay that the vital coastguard station at Brixham is to close.  The round the clock centre at the busy fishing port  was not included in those that have been saved.

Welcome reprieve for Islands Coastguard stations, but concerns remain.

THE Seafish Industry Authority has given a broad welcome to the EU fish reforms, but it wants  the seafood industry will be significantly involved in developing how future  goals are to be met.

SCOTLAND'S Fisheries Secretary  Richard Lochhead has warned that yesterday's  proposal to reform the Common Fisheries Policy do not go far enough - and could  pose a threat to the fleet.

The European Commission  today set out its long awaited and radical plans for reform of the Common Fisheries Policy and, as expected, they include an end to the hated practice of discards.

AS Scotland's fish catching industry leaders  warned that European fishing reform must not turn out to be a wasted opportunity, EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki told Fishupdate that her proposals, due to be unveiled later today, would take an ambitious approach and give more responsibility to fishermen, along with increased support for aquaculture.

The National Federation of Fishermens Organisations said last night it welcomes the European Commission’s clarification over the definition of the term “overfishing”.

SEAFISH  said today that it  is hoping the UK seafood industry will have flexibility to operate sustainably and profitably within the European Commission’s plans for a new Common Fisheries Policy tomorrow.

THE European Commission's long awaited plans for the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy will be published after midday tomorrow.

WHITBY Fish Market has been running well since a new operator moved in recently, saving the facility from closure, the harbour board has said.

Delegates at the Second SmartOcean Conference - Driving New Business Opportunities at the Interface of ICT and the Sea - at the Marine Institute in Oranmore, Galway, this week (Tuesday 5th July), heard how Ireland is uniquely positioned to leverage its technical expertise in targeting opportunities within the trillion dollar global marine sector.

Protection of vulnerable marine species and habitats is a priority for the Norwegian government. With the introduction of a new regulation for bottom fishing in Norwegian Waters, Norway takes an important step in the ecosystem-approach to fisheries management, said Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs Lisbeth Berg-Hansen.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has launched a new website as part of a public awareness campaign to riase awareness that Florida Gulf seafood – including snapper, grouper, shrimp, blue crab, oysters and clams - is safe.

THE ordeal of 20 brave Grimsby trawlermen who lost their lives off the coast of Norway over 50 years ago will finally be laid  to rest this weekend.

The Chilean National Congress has passed a bill that bans shark finning in Chile  after being approved by 24 in favor and 0 against.

TRAWLING FOR TRUTH    http://trawlingfortruth.blogspot.com/

ICELAND has confirmed that its cod catch quota for the new fishing year which starts on September 1st will be 177,000 tons – an increase of around ten per cent.

In an effort to bring top quality, more eco-friendly  shellfish to market, particularly in light of economic losses from the recent oil spill disaster, New Orleans' Louisiana’s shrimp industry has begun testing an innovative sulphite-free liquid enzyme treatment to prevent melanosis, or “black spot,” in harvested shellfish. Although harmless, this blackening affects the appearance and market value of the shrimp.

On Wednesday 13 July 2011, the European Commission is expected to publish its long awaited proposals for reforming Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), meanwhile World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has published a list of what it expects the new proposals should contain.

The  Faroe Islands has entered its North East Arctic cod and haddock fishery for full Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. If successful products from these two species will be able to use the MSC ecolabel.

THE International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has said more haddock can be taken from the North Sea next year, but is recommending a small reduction in the cod catch.

FISHING tensions between China and Japan have flared up again.

Are Scottish tope shark stocks in decline and will any rays be seen again?

THE National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations said it plans to make a case for a move away from 'strong arm reductions' in fishing effort and catch controls towards a more intelligent and comprehensive approach focused on results.

THE number of fishermen working in the UK is down by 2,300 over the last decade, new figures show .And there were 16 per cent fewer vessels over the same period, but the UK fleet still remains the sixth largest in the EU in terms of numbers.

Key representatives from six of the most influential French fishing organisations, representing over 850 vessels are in Ireland today (Monday 4th July 2011) with a view to agreeing strategic partnerships between Irish and French seafood interests.

Aberdeen Coastguard were coordinating the rescue of 14 crew members from a Danish registered fishing boat six miles off Fraserburgh after a fire was reported in her engine room in the early hours of this morning.

THE North Sea and North West Waters regional advisory councils (RACs) have presented their case for radical changes to the EU Cod Management Plan to a meeting of ICES and STECF fisheries scientists, held on 20-24th June, in Hamburg.

UK Fishing Minister, Richard Benyon MP, has agreed to meet a delegation of Cornish fishermen led by their local MP, Andrew George, following questions raised in the House of Commons today.

Overfishing threatens to destroy mackerel stocks in the North Atlantic, according to The Nordic Council’s Environment Committee which is calling on the food and fisheries ministers to do something about it, starting at their meeting in Finland next week.