Aquaculture and Fisheries World Briefing

Fishing is a profession often passed down from one generation to the next. Many lobstermen in Maine fish the same bottom their fathers and grandfathers fished, and the same holds true of fishermen father offshore as well. Yet increasingly, anecdotal evidence has suggested that the old faithful fishing spots are no longer quite so reliable.

 

In northern regions these shifts could lead to conflicts over fishing rights and access to traditional fishing grounds. In the tropics, the problem could be more dire. As our oceans warm, species may not be able to adapt at all, leaving tropical oceans with severely depleted fish stocks and some of the most vulnerable human populations with a distinct shortage of a vital protein source.

 

Much of this scarcity of native species can be attributed to overfishing, a practice now largely halted in U.S. waters thanks to strict new science-based management tactics implemented as a result of a 2006 reauthorization of the law that governs our fisheries. But increasingly, both scientists and fishermen have been eying climate change as a reason some fish are showing up in new places and the catch fishermen are accustomed to finding have been surprisingly slow to rebuild.

 

A new study published this week in the journal Nature puts some peer-reviewed punch behind what up until now was a common-sense theory. Most fish have a preference for a certain water temperature range, and because they are mobile creatures, as water warms due to climate change, fish populations are on the move toward the poles. The study found:

Except in the tropics, catch composition in most ecosystems slowly changed to include more warm-water species and fewer cool-water species. In the tropics, the catch followed a similar pattern from 1970 to 1980 and then stabilized, likely because there are no species with high enough temperature preferences to replace those that declined. Statistical models showed that the increase in warm-water species was significantly related to increasing ocean temperatures.

This latest research builds on the authors’ 2009 study that stated:

…climate change may lead to large-scale redistribution of global catch potential, with an average of 30–70% increase in high-latitude regions and a drop of up to 40% in the tropics.

This trend could have dire implications for both fishermen and fish.

 

As U.S. fishermen are increasingly operating under management systems that set the total amount of fish they can catch based on their historic landings, this kind of habitat shift can lead to complex management conundrums. If a fisherman from Massachusetts is suddenly catching more summer flounder (which prefer warmer water) and less winter flounder (which prefer colder water) but his catch allocation was set based on his history of catching winter flounder, his business will not last.

 

Meanwhile the New Jersey fisherman’s boat may not be equipped to catch the species that will replace summer flounder in his waters so he will either have to move with the fish into an area where he may not be permitted to fish, or invest in new gear and face the possibility of learning a new fishing method entirely. Neither is an attractive option.

 

In tropical regions, particularly in less-developed countries, the results could be much worse. Fish is the primary source of protein for more than three billion people on the planet, many of them in less-developed tropical countries. But in their case, the fish that migrate out of their waters won’t be replaced by anything. This is not a question of parsing out a different mix of fish. It will result in a complete loss of a major food source.

 

And if it’s bad for the people who depend on the fish for protein, it’s worse for the fish themselves. As Daniel Pauly, one of the new study’s authors put it in an interview with NPR on Wednesday, “imagine a reef fish that is driven by temperature into North Carolina or the Delaware coast. That reef fish will not find reefs. It’s like you having to move, but you cannot take your furniture with you, or your house.”

 

The challenge of rebuilding today’s depleted fish populations is already a herculean one for fishery managers to address. Unfortunately, it now appears they’re going to have add the complexity of tomorrow’s warming and acidifying oceans to the equation.

 

Michael Conathan, Director of Ocean Policy at the Center for American Progress

 

Del 31 de mayo al 2 de junio tendrá lugar la primera edición de PESCAZA ( I Feria de la Caza y la Pesca) , en IFEPA-Palacio de Ferias y Exposiciones de la Región de Murcia, en Torre Pacheco. Un certamen dirigido tanto a profesionales como a público en general, que constituye toda una novedad en la Región de Murcia y provincias limítrofes.

 

Feria concebida con el objetivo de satisfacer las necesidades comerciales de todos los profesionales de ambos sectores, y que espera convertirse en un punto de encuentro indispensable del sector cinegético y pesquero, en el Levante español, dada la gran tradición existente.

 

Pescaza es además una feria muy atractiva para el público que podrá disfrutar de interesantes exhibiciones y la vez que, si lo desea, participar en algunas actividades que se van a desarrollar. Es por tanto, una feria con un matiz didáctico dirigida también a las familias que deseen pasar una jornada entretenida, que contarán con varios servicios de restauración.

 

Este certamen contará con casi un centenar de empresas de sectores tan diversos como complementos de caza y pesca, rehalas, agencias de seguros, prestigiosas armerías con las principales marcas y modelos del mercado internacional, cuchillerías, safaris internacionales de caza y también de pesca, granjas cinegéticas, cetrerías, embarcaciones, kayaks, gastronomía y restauración, tiro virtual, taxidermias, guarnicionerías, medios de comunicación especializados. También habrá vehículos todo terreno, piscinas, joyería de caza, motores fueraborda, entre otros contenidos. Estarán presentes la Dirección General de Medio Ambiente y el Servicio de Protección de la Naturaleza, SEPRONA, y las Federaciones de Caza, Pesca , Tiro Olímpico y Galgos de la Región de Murcia.

 

La oferta de PESCAZA se complementará con un programa paralelo de actividades que se desarrollará durante los 3 días de celebración, entre las que cabe destacar: Una gran exposición de Taxidermia, que permitirá a los visitantes ver de cerca ejemplares procedentes de varios continentes en su habitat natural, como hienas, antílopes, ñús, cebras, orix, jabalíes, ciervos, gamos, etc..Concentración de Rehalas, que tendrá lugar el sábado día 1, con gran variedad de perros de caza. También habrá Exposición y Exhibición de Perros de Rastro, Perros de Muestra, con la presencia de adiestradores; Galgos, Podencos Canarios y Perros de Madriguera, que realizarán exhibiciones para el disfrute de interesados y curiosos, quienes podrán también participar en sorteos de cacerías a cargo de Sociedades de Cazadores., y ver de cerca, a especies como el perro salvaje australiano (dingo), lince boreal y mofeta.

 

Papel importante ocuparán las Exhibiciones de cetrería durante los 3 días, a cargo de Las Águilas del Sol, Pasión por la Cetrería, en las que se podrán ver variedad de aves rapaces y nocturnas, como águilas de harris, lechuzas, cernícalos, águila esteparia, búho africano, nival, búho de bengala, buitres, etc..

 

La Federación de Pesca realizará exhibiciones de pesca de truchas en piscina, y se ofrecerán explicaciones sobre varias técnicas de lanzamiento. Asimismo, habrá exposición, venta y alquiler de embarcaciones, algunas de aluminio gran variedad de kayaks hinchables para pesca y buceo, de turismo, con motor manual o eléctrico, tablas hinchables para la pesca a pulmón, y como novedad un sistema de placas solares para el uso del motor eléctrico. Se contará con la presencia del equipo Campeón del Mundo de surfcasting junto con su club.

 

Por otro lado, en el stand del Club de Apnea y Pesca Submarina El Buzo contará con la presencia el sábado 1 de junio a partir de las 15:30h. del Campeón Regional por equipos de Pesca Submarina, Julían Rivas Paquet.

La Federación de Tiro Olímpico, realizará una galería de tiro con prácticas de tiro virtual y real, y contará con la presencia de Javier López, Campeón de Europa en esta modalidad, representante de España en las pasadas Olimpiadas celebradas en Londres, El sábado día 1 a las 18.30 horas se ofrecerá una charla en la que se hablará sobre la historia del Tiro Olímpico y sus 17 modalidades. Completan el programa además exhibiciones de paintball-air soft, una pista para jugar al battlefield, etc.

 

Quienes pasen por Pescaza podrán practicar además laser shot, juego virtual que reproduce de una forma muy natural lo que es la acción de cazar sobre perdices, jabalíes, patos, tiro al plato, etc.

 

El horario de Pescaza será el viernes 31 de mayo y el sábado 1 de junio, de 10.30 a 21.00 horas, y el domíngo 2 de junio, de 10.30 a 20.00 horas . Para más información visite www.ifepa.es

 

 

It is a critically endangered species but the human appetite for blue fun tuna shows no signs of slowing. In this video, BBC presenter Simon Reeve travels to Port Lincoln, Australia to visit a tuna ranch.

Blue fin tuna caught in the wild and are then herded into open water pens to grow out. Divers monitor the fish everyday to ensure they healthy.

Tuna ranching allows the authorities to monitor how much tuna is caught, helping to stop overfishing of fish stocks.

The fish can double in size in six months, making them a lucrative export to countries such as Japan and making some fishermen very wealthy.

However, taking fish from the wild to grow on is not the most sustainable option. Reeve visits a secret research facility where Dr Craig Foster is working on closing the cycle for tuna. The fish is difficult to grow in captivity because tuna are temperature spawners, meaning they migrate from Australia to warmer waters in the Java Sea to lay eggs. This process is hard to reproduce in a tank but Foster has created an environment which mimics the daylight, moonlight and water temperature the fish encounter in the wild.

Blue fin tuna has been spawned in captivity for the first time ever. But that's just the first step of the process. If Foster's project is successful, it could take the pressure off fish stocks and farmed tuna may be coming to a plate near you.

 

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rjmqz9y8cLg#t=1387s

 

Seaweed producers, government officers and aquaculture stakeholders in Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands are part of the International Seaweed Symposium in Bali, Indonesia.

 

The Secretariat of the Pacific Community, through the European Union-funded increasing agricultural commodity trade (IACT) project, has been working with seaweed farming communities in the Pacific to identify new export markets for their products.  

 

The six-day symposium showcases the results of some of the latest research into processed and semi-refined seaweed products that can possibly be used in value-adding opportunities like the manufacture of sausages, patties, shampoos, coffee and snacks. 

 

IACT aquaculture officer Avinash Singh says this can be a useful source of income for local communities in isolated outer islands, where few alternative income-generating opportunities exist.

 

FORTY small farmers from the parishes of St Mary and St Thomas recently participated in a $30-million European Union (EU) funded Economic Diversification Programme, in which they were provided with the necessary materials, training, and technical support to enable their engagement in alternative agricultural activities.

 

The 17-month programme — which was implemented in Esher, St Mary, and Somerset in St Thomas — focused on the cultivation of Scotch bonnet pepper, goat rearing, and honey production.

 

It was executed under the EU's Banana Support Programme and streamlined benefits for targeted farmers impacted by declines in banana production and exports due to natural disasters, falling prices on the world market and non-competitiveness in traditional European markets.

 

Addressing the 20 St Mary beneficiaries in a closing ceremony for the Programme at the Esher Seventh-day Adventist Church last Friday, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Roger Clarke said the project's conclusion signalled "the beginning" for the farmers.

 

"I want to congratulate you (because) you have been successful. You have improved on your capabilities to do farming (and) you are appreciating what proper agricultural practice is about. I urge you to impart that knowledge to your colleague farmers within your own communities," Clarke urged.

 

He thanked the EU; the philanthropic entity and implementing organisation, Food For the Poor (FFP); and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority for their input in the project's success. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries had overall supervisory responsibility for the project.

 

Jacqueline Johnson, FFP's executive director, said the programme generated approximately $6.14 million from over 60,000 pounds of peppers, 54 gallons of honey and 34 new goats yielded.

 

"We are confident that, through the imparting of knowledge and skills as well as the development of marketing strategies, this programme has created a launch pad for small farmers to benefit from new income-generating opportunities and increased possibilities," she stated.

 

Head of rural development and infrastructure with the EU Delegation in Jamaica, Thomas Opperer, pointed out that the welfare of small farmers, particularly in banana-producing territories, "is at the very heart of the EU's policy". He also assured that the EU will continue its support to the banana sector.

 

Two of the beneficiaries, Bridgette Russell and Jeffery Campbell from Esher, expressed gratitude on behalf of their colleagues, for the stakeholders' interventions.

 

Russell described the project as a "wonderful opportunity" that has served to enhance the welfare of the farmers, their families and the wider community.

 

"It has been a success. We appreciate all that you have done and we will continue to do our best in our endeavours," Russell said.

 

Campbell said news of the planned project implementation generated a sense of great anticipation and expectation among the targeted beneficiaries. He described it as a welcomed intervention for the community, on which they would expand.

 

JIS

 

 

 

Taipei, May 21 (CNA) Eleven crew members were rescued Tuesday after a Taiwanese fishing boat caught fire in waters near Mauritius on May 19, but the search continues for two missing fishermen, a Taiwanese fishery official said Tuesday.

Huang Pao-jung, the Taiwanese skipper of the Ruei Yi Hsiang No. 11, and a crew member had not been found as of noon Tuesday, two days after the boat caught fire and apparently sunk in the Indian Ocean, said Tsai Jih-yao, deputy director-general of the National Fisheries Agency.

The fire occurred in an area far away from where pirates usually roam and there is no evidence that it was caused by external factors, Tsai said.

The 11 crewmen were picked up by three fishing boats belonging to the same company that owned the ill-fated vessel, which was carrying 12 Philippine fishermen and the Taiwanese skipper, Tsai said.

The government of Mauritius has sent a helicopter to help search for the missing men in the hope of maximizing the 72-hour "golden" timeframe for search and rescue operations, said Lin Han-chou, the head of a Donggang fisherman's association.

The Fisheries Agency has dispatched a specialist to Mauritius to help deal with the matter, he added.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation but it may have been due to an overheated engine, according to the fishery radio station in Donggang Township, Pingtung County, where the boat is registered.

The 80-ton tuna fishing boat left Taiwan in April 2010 for the Indian Ocean and was operating from a fishing base in Mauritius, the radio station said. (Yang Su-min, Kuo Chu-chen and Y.L. Kao)

 

 

For the first time in history cod of “live quality” is hanging on the drying racks.

 

Halvor and Helge get in a great mood when they see fish from capture-based aquaculture on the drying racks.

 

“I’m really looking forward to seeing the quality of stockfish based on cod from capture-based aquaculture. This is the future. We will get this fish on the menu of Ristorante Frosio in Bergamo in Italy,” says Halvor Hansen of Halvors Tradisjonsfisk AS.

 

Along with the food research institute Nofima and Lofoten company Nic. Haug in Ballstad, he is part of a research project involving live storage of cod.

 

Both Helge Haug from Nic. Haug and Halvor Hansen are pleased that white quality cod originating from live storage is hanging on the drying racks to become stockfish. The pair already has soaked quality stockfish on the menu at Ristorante Frosio, which has one star in the prestigious Michelin Guide. The quality is becoming even better thanks to live storage. This has never happened before.

 

A third player is fishing boat owner André Reinholdtsen from Myre in Vesterålen. Reinholdtsen has collaborated with Nofima on capture-based aquaculture for a decade. He is now supplying top quality cod via Ballstad and Tromsø to Italy.

 

Modern 1000-year-olds

 

“Halvor Hansen and Helge Haug are both extremely preoccupied with ensuring that everything they produce is of the most outstanding quality. It is very exciting that in collaboration we are modernizing a 1000-year-old product through concentrating on cod that is captured and kept alive right up to the time of production,” says Nofima Senior Scientist Kjell Midling.

 

He also manages the National Centre for Capture-based Aquaculture. The research on cod from capture-based aquaculture is being performed in close collaboration with the Norwegian Seafood Research Fund (FHF).

 

“The modern version of Norwegian live storage of cod came in 1987 when Knut and Jens Arild at Alta Sjøfarm started with capture-based aquaculture of cod caught in Danish seines, fed whole herring and transported directly to the fish market by truck,” says Midling.

 

Since then, Nofima and the Institute of Marine Research have engaged in research involving capture-based aquaculture.

 

Double 50 % bonus

 

“Today we have a solid Danish seine environment from Lofoten/Vesterålen to Båtsfjord in Finnmark that practices capture-based aquaculture from the most hectic cod fishery in the spring for sale to the industries at times of the years when there is little access to raw materials,” says Midling.

 

He provides an example of a fishing boat owner keeping 100 tonnes of cod captured in April alive until June by practicing capture-based aquaculture. If the minimum price per kilo of gutted/headed cod is NOK 15, the fish would be worth NOK 1 million if they were delivered in April.

 

In practice, it has proven to be the case that in July it is possible to achieve the same price for round as for gutted/headed fish, consequently NOK 1.5 million. In addition, there is a bonus for capture-based aquaculture of cod of a 50 % increase in quota. As such, it is possible to achieve a double 50 % bonus.

 

Minister’s target

 

“In recent years 700 – 1500 tonnes of cod have been moved from the hectic spring season to the autumn. This involves reducing some of the pressure during the hectic fishery of spawning cod in spring, and at the same time it is possible to supply quality fish to the industry in a period with limited access to raw materials,” says Midling.

 

“But there is still a way to go to achieve the target set by the Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs, Lisbeth Berg-Hansen, of 30,000 tonnes of cod transferred to capture-based aquaculture from the spring until the autumn.”

 

Midling points to plans for increased live storage of fish in the Danish seine fleet, trawler fleet and the coastal fleet. In collaboration with the Institute of Marine Research, trials have been carried out involving live storage in the long-line fleet and extremely promising trials have been carried out by the coastal fleet using two-chamber fish pots in its cod fishery. Overall, this can bring the industry closer to the Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affair’s ambitious quality target.

 

Rejoicing in white stockfish

 

Helge Haug, managing director of fishing industry company Nic. Haug in Ballstad, says he is rejoicing when he sees the white quality of the split cod which in April he hung on the drying racks from live storage on the fishing boats “Ballstadøy” and “Kloegga”.

 

“We have previously supplied live-captured cod to the fresh fish market and have received extremely good feedback. We have traditionally split our production three ways; salted cod, stockfish and fresh fish. Owing to the market situation salted cod has reduced while fresh has increased. For more than a decade we have had good cooperation with Halvors Tradisjonsfisk supplying split cod and stockfish fillet. All the focus is on quality. What is now completely new and exciting is that the stockfish is produced from cod that was kept alive after capture and transferred to capture-based aquaculture,” says Haug.

 

Wants bonuses for more

 

Nic. Haug has long had plans for capture-based aquaculture of cod. But Helge Haug believes the risk to date has been too high. He concentrates on purchasing cod from other live storage fishing boats.

 

The company is planning its own sea cage to have a buffer of live cod. The focus now is on transferring the live captured cod from the hectic cod fishery before Easter to sea cages until the climate sets a deadline in April/May for hanging out cod to dry.

 

“Bonus quotas are currently given to those who catch fish and keep them in their own sea cages. I believe a bonus should also be given to those who supply live cod, for instance a 10 percent increase in quotas. It is important to attract as many as possible and in this way contribute to raising the quality of Norwegian white fish to the markets,” says Haug.

 

Quality going in wrong direction

 

This is a point of view shared by collaboration partner Halvor Hansen of Halvors Tradisjonsfisk. Step by step his company has reached an annual turnover of more than NOK 6 million.

 

He has now gone that whole way from supplying high quality to the domestic market to soaking quality stockfish and exporting it to Italy, where the response has been extremely positive.

 

“This year we have experienced record quantities of cod that were to be landed within a short space of time. This coincided with a crisis in the markets and bait in the cod. In times of crisis we should pay extremely close attention to quality but this year has been opposite. We still have a long way to go,” says Hansen.

 

Danish seines and fish pots

 

Coastal fishing boat owner André Reinholdtsen has supplied six tonnes of the cod that will now be tested in the markets Halvor Hansen is targeting, including Italy.

 

At present he is participating in the spring cod fishery in Finnmark with his combined Danish seine and well boat “Kloegga” (23 m). He is limiting his Danish seine catch to 6-8 tonnes in order to treat the cod as gently as possible on the way up from the seabed to the tanks on board the boat and then to capture-based aquaculture in a leased sea cage in Tufjord.

 

“In collaboration with the Institute of Marine Research, we carried out an extremely successful trial in the spring involving the use of fish pots. The cod receives extremely gentle handling in the pots. It is not hauled up rapidly and can recuperate during the entire process. We achieved an average catch of 70 kg per pot. It may be possible to increase the catch to 100 kg. In comparison with the long-line catch, we used about half the amount of bait for the same quantum. We also avoid our own expenses,” says Reinholdtsen.

 

He believes boats as small as 30-35 foot will be able to fish for live cod using fish pots as an alternative to longlines or nets. “The use of pots will be able to make a significant contribution to the quantity of live stored quality cod.”

 

Opting for hybrid

 

He is collaborating with SINTEF on the building of a 50 foot boat for hybrid operation for fishing with pots and autoline in coastal waters.

 

“In the main it involves live storage, but we need autoline in order to take by-catch species and be able to operate in a profitable manner when the conditions are not suitable for pots. I have a strong belief that capture-based aquaculture will strengthen the Norwegian fishing industry. But this is reliant on work involving the product in the markets. In order to be able to justify the additional costs of capture-based aquaculture, the price to the fisherman must be NOK 5 plus for live fish,” says Reinholdtsen.

 

The European Commission has notified the fisheries authorities of the Faroe Islands of its intention to adopt measures in support of the sustainability of herring fisheries shared with the Faroe Islands. This notification is a preliminary step which aims at giving the Faroe Islands an opportunity to be heard in advance. The measures may include restrictions in the imports of herring and associated species fished by Faroese interests and restrictions on the access of Faroese vessels in EU harbours except for safety reasons.

 

The stock of Atlanto-Scandian herring is fished by Norway, the Russian Federation, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and the European Union with management measures commonly set up through consultation among these countries. The Faroe Islands withdrew from the consultations on the management of the stock for 2013 and announced that they would set up an autonomous quota at a level 145% higher than their 2012 quota. This was set against a context in which all other parties to the fishery had agreed to reduce their quotas by 26% for conservation reasons.

 

By this action, the sustainability of the stock is highly compromised and its recovery possibilities largely diminished. This Commission action aims to ensure sustainability to avoid a collapse of the stock which would mean that many fishermen and their families would lose their income. The action is based on Regulation (EU) No 1026/2012, which foresees the adoption of measures against countries that fail to cooperate with the EU in the management of stocks of common interest and adopt management measures that put fish stocks at risk.

 

The Faroe Islands is a self-governed territory within the Danish Realm and is not part of the European Union.

 

Στρατηγικές κατευθυντήριες γραμμές προκειμένου να ενισχυθεί η ανάπτυξη της υδατοκαλλιέργειας στην Ε.Ε. χάραξε η Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή συνεργαζόμενη με τα κράτη-μέλη και τους ενδιαφερόμενους φορείς.

 

Οι νέες κατευθυντήριες γραμμές θα συμβάλουν στον συντονισμό των προσπαθειών σε όλα τα κράτη-μέλη. Δεν δημιουργούν νέες νομικές υποχρεώσεις, αλλά προβλέπουν μια σειρά εθελοντικών μέτρων, τα οποία τα κράτη-μέλη, η Επιτροπή και οι ενδιαφερόμενοι φορείς μπορούν να λάβουν για την προώθηση ενός οικονομικά, κοινωνικά και περιβαλλοντικά βιώσιμου κλάδου και την παροχή στους καταναλωτές υγιών και υψηλής ποιότητας αλιευτικών προϊόντων.

 

Όπως υπογραμμίζεται στο πλαίσιο της μεταρρύθμισης της Κοινής Αλιευτικής Πολιτικής, ο κλάδος της υδατοκαλλιέργειας μπορεί να συμβάλει στην κάλυψη του χάσματος μεταξύ της ολοένα αυξανόμενης κατανάλωσης αλιευτικών προϊόντων και της εξάντλησης των αλιευτικών αποθεμάτων.

 

Πράγματι, μπορεί να προσφέρει μια βιώσιμη εναλλακτική λύση στην υπεραλίευση και να δημιουργήσει οικονομική μεγέθυνση και απασχόληση τόσο στις παράκτιες όσο και στις εσωτερικές περιοχές.

 

Η Επιτροπή, σε στενή διαβούλευση με όλους τους ενδιαφερόμενους φορείς, έχει προσδιορίσει τέσσερις κύριες προκλήσεις που αντιμετωπίζει ο τομέας της υδατοκαλλιέργειας: την αναγκαιότητα για τη μείωση της γραφειοκρατίας και της αβεβαιότητας για τους επιχειρηματίες του κλάδου, την αναγκαιότητα να διευκολυνθεί η πρόσβαση σε χώρο και σε ύδατα, την ανάγκη για αύξηση της ανταγωνιστικότητας του τομέα και την ανάγκη για βελτίωση των συνθηκών ισότιμου ανταγωνισμού μέσω της αξιοποίησης του ανταγωνιστικού πλεονεκτήματος των προϊόντων αλιείας «παραγωγής Ε.Ε.».

 

Παραγωγή προϊόντων

Το 2010, η αξία της παραγωγής προϊόντων υδατοκαλλιέργειας στην Ε.Ε. ήταν 3,1 δισ. ευρώ για 1,26 εκατομμύρια τόνους παραγωγής. Αυτό αντιστοιχεί περίπου στο 2% της παγκόσμιας παραγωγής υδατοκαλλιέργειας.

 

Η παραγωγή προϊόντων υδατοκαλλιέργειας στην Ε.Ε. παρέμεινε στάσιμη κατά την τελευταία δεκαετία, ενώ σε άλλες περιοχές -ιδίως στην Ασία- σημειώθηκε πολύ ταχεία ανάπτυξη του τομέα.

 

Σήμερα, το 10% της κατανάλωσης αλιευτικών προϊόντων στην Ε.Ε. προέρχεται από την υδατοκαλλιέργεια, 25% από αλιεία στην Ε.Ε. και το 65% από εισαγωγές από τρίτες χώρες (εισαγωγές στις οποίες περιλαμβάνονται προϊόντα τόσο της αλιείας όσο και της υδατοκαλλιέργειας).

 

Το χάσμα μεταξύ της κατανάλωσης και της παραγωγής προϊόντων αλίευσης αυξάνεται διαρκώς τα τελευταία χρόνια, και η υδατοκαλλιέργεια μπορεί να συμβάλει στη συμπλήρωσή του. Κάθε ποσοστιαία μονάδα τρέχουσας κατανάλωσης στην Ε.Ε. που παράγεται εσωτερικά μέσω υδατοκαλλιέργειας μπορεί να συμβάλει στη δημιουργία 3.000 έως 4.000 θέσεων εργασίας πλήρους απασχόλησης.

Η οργάνωση καλεί τον υπουργό να στηρίξει τη θέση του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου για ριζική μεταρρύθμιση της Κοινής Αλιευτικής Πολιτικής

 

Απογοητευτική χαρακτηρίζει την κατάληξη του Συμβουλίου των υπουργών Αλιείας της Ε.Ε., λίγο πριν από την τελική απόφαση για τη μεταρρύθμιση της Κοινής Αλιευτικής Πολιτικής, η Greenpeace, και ταυτόχρονα επικρίνει τον υπουργό Αθ. Τσαυτάρη διότι, "στηρίζοντας τα συμφέροντα της καταστροφικής βιομηχανικής αλιείας, μπλόκαρε μια μοναδική ευκαιρία να ανατραπούν δεκαετίες υπεραλίευσης και να διασφαλιστεί η ζωή στις θάλασσές μας".

 

Η Greenpeace υπογραμμίζει ότι η θέση του Έλληνα υπουργού βάζει σε κίνδυνο τη βιωσιμότητα του κλάδου της αλιείας καταδικάζοντας το μέλλον χιλιάδων παράκτιων ψαράδων και των κοινοτήτων που εκπροσωπούν.

 

Σε ανακοίνωσή της, η οργάνωση αναφέρει ότι η προχθεσινή συνεδρίαση είχε στόχο τη διαμόρφωση της θέσης των υπουργών για τη μεταρρύθμιση της ευρωπαϊκής αλιευτικής νομοθεσίας πριν προχωρήσουν στις τελικές διαπραγματεύσεις με το Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο.

 

Η έντονη αντίθεση στις προτάσεις του Κοινοβουλίου ήρθε από την Ισπανία, τη Γαλλία, την Πορτογαλία, την Ελλάδα και το Βέλγιο, οι οποίες αρνήθηκαν να συμφωνήσουν σε μέτρα για την αποκατάσταση των ιχθυαποθεμάτων έως το 2020, τη μείωση του αλιευτικού στόλου σε βιώσιμα επίπεδα, την αυστηρή απαγόρευση της σπάταλης πρακτικής των απορρίψεων των ανεπιθύμητων αλιευμάτων και την προώθηση βιώσιμων πρακτικών, όπως είναι η παράκτια αλιεία.

 

Η οργάνωση σημειώνει ότι ο Έλληνας υπουργός δεν έχει δημοσιοποιήσει τη στάση που κράτησε στο Συμβούλιο και δεν έχει εξηγήσει για ποιο λόγο συντάχθηκε με τα μεγάλα αλιευτικά κράτη, όπως η Ισπανία και η Γαλλία, στηρίζοντας τα συμφέροντα της αλιευτικής βιομηχανίας, όταν την ίδια ώρα στη χώρα του δεκάδες χιλιάδες παράκτιοι αλιείς βρίσκονται στα πρόθυρα της ανεργίας.

 

Η Greenpeace στηρίζει τη θέση του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου και καλεί τον Έλληνα υπουργό Αλιείας, Αθ. Τσαυτάρη, να υποστηρίξει τις προτάσεις των ευρωβουλευτών για ριζική μεταρρύθμιση της Κοινής Αλιευτικής Πολιτικής και να θεσμοθετήσει θαλάσσιο καταφύγιο στις Βόρειες Κυκλάδες, ως το πρώτο βήμα ουσιαστικής στήριξης της ελληνικής αλιείας και των παράκτιων ψαράδων.

 

 

 

 

The FAO Fishing Vessels Finder (FVF), a one-stop site to search for detailed information on individual fishing vessels, is now available.

You can search the FVF, a data warehouse developed by FAO, from a variety of available public sources. The FVF currently covers information from the five tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations* and other authoritative sources**. Aside from being an archive of current and historical vessel records, the FVF also maps information from multiple sources. So, for example, you can see how many authorizations one specific vessel had in October 2010.

The FVF is still evolving with a view to becoming part of a Global Vessel Records framework in the future. To this end, FAO is seeking interested partners to share vessel information through the FVF.

FAO invites users to explore the FVF and to provide feedback. Inquiries, error reporting or interest in partnerships, can be addressed to: VRMF-Administrator@fao.org

 

Click here to enter the FAO Fishing Vessels Finder search panel: http://www.fao.org/figis/vrmf/finder/search/#stats

 

 

Visible marking of farmed salmon will make it easier to differentiate escaped farmed salmon from wild salmon. This can reduce problems associated with escaped farmed salmon.

 

Research at Nofima indicates that removal of the adipose fin in farmed salmon can be the easiest and cheapest method.

 

A project managed by the food research institute Nofima tested different methods for external marking of farmed salmon, which is necessary for secure identification of escaped farmed salmon.

 

The project assessed the following methods: complete and partial removal of the adipose fin, freeze branding and visible implant elastomer (VIE).

 

A happy salmon without adipose fin

 

The marking is performed on anaesthetised fish at a weight of 20 - 50 g. There is nothing to indicate that the fish have a negative reaction to the adipose fin removal.

 

“There is reason to believe that this is no different to the tagging of animals, which has been common for a long time,” says Senior Scientist Atle Mortensen.

 

None of the marking methods that were tested had any impact on growth or survival in comparison with the unmarked control fish, and all the marks were clearly visible four months after the date of marking.

 

However, after a period of 10 months the freeze branding had completely disappeared and the VIE marking was difficult to read. It is common that damaged or removed tissue is regenerated or, in other words, grows again.

 

“With partial removal of the adipose fin, we observed partial regeneration in half of the marked fish, but with complete removal of the adipose fin regeneration was not a problem and the marking was clearly visible for the duration of the trial,” says Mortensen.

 

Meets requirements of Animal Welfare Act

 

Around 200 million salmon smolts are transferred to sea cages in Norway on an annual basis. It would be a formidable job to mark all of these, and the marking must be performed in accordance with current regulations and the Animal Welfare Act.

 

All salmon transferred to sea cages from hatcheries in Canada and USA have had their adipose fin removed. The adipose fin removal may be performed manually or mechanically.

 

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority recommends that such marking should occur in conjunction with vaccination to avoid unnecessary strain – on both fish and people.

 

“Automatic adipose fin removal is possible, but this cannot currently be combined with vaccination,” says Mortensen. “The best option therefore would be fitting vaccination machines with equipment for automatic marking.

 

Even though there is major uncertainty surrounding the costs, everything indicates that adipose fin removal is the cheapest and most efficient tagging method.”

 

Who do the markets say?

 

From a market perspective, the removal of adipose fins can be a potential problem if the fish are sold whole, but the focus on this varies from market to market. This is the conclusion of a survey among the Norwegian Seafood Council’s international representatives.

 

“An overall assessment shows that the durability/readability, effect on growth and survival, technology and any market reactions indicate that complete removal of the adipose fin is the only one of the tested methods that can be recommended,” concludes Senior Scientist Atle Mortensen.

 

Publications from NofimaReportsFysisk merking av oppdrettslaks. Test og evaluering av forskjellige merkemetoder: http://www.nofima.no/filearchive/Rapport%2001-2013.pdf

 

 

The fatal shooting of Taiwanese fisherman Hung Shih-cheng (洪石成) by Philippine Coast Guard personnel aboard a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessel has caused widespread anger in Taiwan.

 

In addition to implementing certain measures, the government has invited the Philippines to negotiate a fisheries agreement. However, it should have known that such a pact is unlikely to work for practical and legal reasons.

 

The Philippines is an archipelagic nation and although it does have substantial fisheries stocks, it uses out-of-date fishing techniques.

 

Its fishing fleet consists predominantly of small vessels more suited to coastal or near-shore fishing and the failure to modernize means that the catch is invariably limited to certain types of fish. Now that fishing stocks are depleting, the Philippine government has become more protective of them and takes a dim view of fishing vessels from neighboring countries entering its waters to catch fish.

 

According to Section 2 of Article 12 of the Philippine constitution, all natural resources are owned by the state, which may enter into “co-production, joint venture, or production-sharing agreements with Filipino citizens, or corporations or associations at least 60 per centum of whose capital is owned by such citizens.”

 

Section 2 goes on to say that such agreements “may be for a period not exceeding twenty-five years, renewable for not more than twenty-five years.”

Therefore, according to Philippine law, Filipinos must have a controlling stake in any joint fishery ventures with the state. This is why so few joint fishery initiatives between Filipinos and foreign nationals exist.

 

Further, the 1998 Fisheries Code of the Philippines makes no mention of joint ventures between Filipinos and foreign nationals in Philippine waters.

 

However, Section 65d states that the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources is to “monitor and review joint fishing agreements between Filipino citizens and foreigners who conduct fishing activities in international waters, and ensure that such agreements do not run contrary to Philippine commitment under international treaties and convention on fishing in high seas.”

 

This is what the Philippine government refers to as its policy of keeping its fisheries strictly national. Essentially, the government does not allow international fishery agreements to involve its national waters.

 

Section 87 of the same law, titled “Poaching in Philippine Waters,” states that it is unlawful for any foreign person, corporation or entity to fish or operate any fishing vessel in Philippine waters, and that any violation of this may be sanctioned by a fine of US$100,000.

 

In addition, the violator’s catch, fishing vessel and equipment will be confiscated and the government has the right to impose an administrative fine of no less than US$50,000, but no more than US$200,000. The severity of the fines and punishments for foreign nationals fishing in Philippine waters are certainly prohibitive.

 

In 1991, Taiwan signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Philippines on agriculture and fishery cooperation and on maritime navigation routes. As part of this memorandum, Manila specified two navigation routes along which Taiwanese fishing boats were allowed passage. It also paved the way for fishery cooperation between the two nations. However, the Philippine government unilaterally abolished this agreement in 1998, as it contravened sections of the Fisheries Code.

 

The Philippines has signed very few fisheries agreements allowing foreign nationals to fish in its national waters. Looking at agreements signed between China and the Philippines to relieve tensions between the two countries over the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島), I discovered that China and the Philippines signed a MOU on fisheries cooperation in 2004, with a follow-up in January 2007 aimed at extending the terms of the memorandum.

 

Nevertheless, these are only MOUs, not official agreements, and have yet to be implemented, stuck in limbo due to the Fisheries Code.

 

Manila Economic and Cultural Office Director Antonio Basilio has said that the fisheries agreement Taiwan recently signed with Japan could be taken as a blueprint for negotiations of a similar agreement between our countries. I do not hold any high hopes for this.

 

One view is that China is the main obstacle to the signing of an agreement between Taiwan and the Philippines.

 

However, where does this talk of China’s obstruction come from, when even Beijing has had problems signing an official fisheries agreement with the Philippines? One must look at the Philippines’ wish to keep its fisheries strictly national to understand what the problem is.

 

If the Philippines enters into negotiations with Taiwan on a fisheries agreement in an attempt to resolve the current tensions, it will not be able to overstep the conditions of the MOU it has with China. If it does, Beijing will exert pressure on the Philippines to sign an agreement and this is not something the Philippine government wants to happen.

 

It is extremely unlikely that the Philippines would be able to use negotiations with Taiwan to confront China, for this would be a poor bargaining chip.

 

Given these factors, Taiwan’s government should consider first establishing codes of conduct by negotiating for maritime safety mutual trust measures to make sure it is safe for Taiwanese fishermen to operate in the overlapping territorial waters, before trying to resolve the issue of the overlapping waters itself.

 

Chen Hurng-yu is a professor at Tamkang University’s Graduate Institute of Asian Studies.

Translated by Paul Cooper

 

 

 

Las autoridades colombianas detuvieron, en aguas jurisdiccionales del Pacífico, una embarcación de bandera ecuatoriana y a tres pescadores por el presunto delito de violación de fronteras para la explotación y aprovechamiento de recursos naturales, informó hoy la Armada del país andino.

La embarcación "Dios con nosotros" había zarpado del puerto ecuatoriano de Esmeraldas y fue ubicada por el buque ARC "Calima" a unas 90 millas náuticas al este de la Isla de Malpelo.

Un comunicado de la Armada colombiana señala, además, que la nave, tripulada por tres personas ecuatorianas, transportaba 138 kilogramos de pesca blanca.

Las personas, así como la embarcación fueron trasladadas hasta el muelle de la Estación de Guardacostas de Buenaventura, departamento del Valle del Cauca (suroeste), en donde fueron puestos a órdenes de las autoridades locales.

Este año la Fuerza Naval del Pacífico ha logrado la detención de 22 embarcaciones extranjeras en zona económica exclusiva colombiana, de las cuales 20 han sido de bandera ecuatoriana.

Así mismo, se ha logrado incautar cerca de 11 toneladas de pesca ilegal en el Pacífico.

 

 

Provincial Fisheries Minister Derek Dalley says inland fish farming is not economically viable. Dalley was responding to the recent discovery of farmed Atlantic Salmon in rivers on the Burin Peninsula. While still under investigation, it appears as though the fish may have escaped from local fish farms, probably as the result of winter storms.

 

Opposition Fisheries Jim Bennett called for government to look into the viability of farming fish in inland tanks, as opposed to nets in the open ocean, after recent outbreaks of infectious salmon anaemia. There is no indication that the fish found recently were sick in any way. Dalley says inland fish farms are simply not an option.

 

He says it's been proven not to be economically viable, and that there are no inland fish farms anywhere in the world.

 

Cawthron Institute has boosted its science and aquaculture capability with the appointment of senior scientist Dr Jacquie Reed as its new head of aquaculture.

 

"We are excited to further strengthen our science leadership team with this new appointment," Cawthron Institute Chief Executive Professor Charles Eason says.

 

"Dr Reed is an accomplished scientist with extensive, proven scientific expertise and specialist knowledge of the commercial aquaculture sector. She will complement and enhance our existing research, while bringing a fresh approach, new energy and drive to this important role."

 

Dr Reed will lead the Aquaculture Group, manage the further development of the Cawthron Aquaculture Park and spearhead research and development to support new and existing partners, including SPATnz, Kono and Aotearoa Fisheries Limited.

 

Dr Reed was formerly Aquaculture and Business Development manager at Northland INC, Northland’s economic development agency, and before that was a group manager at NIWA for six years.

 

She is firmly focused on commercialisation of research and the role of science in providing environmentally sustainable solutions for commercial aquaculture development.

 

An excellent collaborator, Dr Reed is looking forward to working with a range of sectors to establish a strong seafood industry for New Zealand.

"The greatest opportunity for New Zealand’s seafood sector is to position itself as the premier source of high quality, safe seafood," she says. "I see my role as working with Government, industry, iwi and researchers to help make that happen."

 

Originally from London, Dr Reed began her science career at the United Kingdom’s prestigious Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) where she was research programme leader of coastal and freshwater environments focusing on shellfish and fish health research.

"That’s where I gained my passion for aquaculture," Dr Reed says.

 

Her responsibilities at CEFAS included heading multi-million dollar research programmes and providing expert advice to the UK and Dutch Government on risks associated with contaminants in shellfish, fish sediments and water in estuaries and marine environments.

 

While at NIWA, Dr Reed developed and led millions of dollars in research for commercial projects, identified new commercial opportunities and drove its science business in freshwater and estuarine systems. As head of aquaculture at Northland INC she designed and launched the regional aquaculture strategy for Northland, working closely with local iwi to support Maori aquaculture in the region while helping ensure sustainable development of the industry.

 

"I see greater potential for Maori-led initiatives in aquaculture," Dr Reed says. "Cawthron is already working closely with iwi in a range of areas including aquaculture, and I’m keen to help further develop those relationships, and the research that will underpin economic growth."

She says it is a privilege to now be leading the aquaculture group at Cawthron Institute, New Zealand’s largest independent science organisation.

 

"I chose to move to Cawthron because of the world-class independent science that is being done here and its reputation for turning research into results for industry, a great example being the Cawthron Aquaculture Park which is an innovative facility that will keep on growing as new research comes on-line," Dr Reed says. "This is an exciting time for aquaculture and I see many research and commercial opportunities here."

 

 

The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) have stated that increasing productivity of wild fish stocks has allowed an increase in the sustainable seafood harvest catch limits for a number of key species in the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (SESSF). The South East Trawl Fishery is part of the SESSF.

Catch limits for popular table fish such as flake and whiting have increased in the 2013/14 fishing season following scientific advice showing stocks are healthy and increased catches can be sustained.

The fishing season opened on 1 May 2013 with the total allowable catch limits increasing for 11 of 34 species, including Gummy Shark, Silver Trevally, Mirror Dory and School Whiting and catch limits for most other species remaining stable.

There will be a net increase in the aggregation of Total Allowable Catch (TAC) limits this season of more than 600 tonnes, which is great news for the fishing industry and seafood consumers.

AFMA CEO Dr James Findlay said that this was a pleasing result with strict management and world leading science ensuring the sustainability of our fisheries for years to come.

"The overall improvement in fish stocks is a result of strong science-based management and an industry dedicated to the long-term sustainability of the fishery and their business. Ultimately this means more fresh, sustainable, local fish on Australian tables and more fishing jobs in rural and regional Australia".

AFMA has also recognised the significant contributions that all members of its Management Advisory Committees and Resource Assessment Groups, as well as stakeholder bodies, have made to sound fisheries management over many years.

 

 

WALVIS BAY - Namibia’s fishing industry has the potential to create more than 4 000 additional jobs. However, this can only be done through combined efforts by both the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources and all stakeholders involved in the fishing industry.

 

The Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Bernard Esau, made these remarks during the stakeholders consultation workshop on the alignment of the ministry’s strategic plan to the 4th National Development Plan (NDP4) and the Medium Term Expenditure Framework.

 

According to Esau, the fisheries ministry plays its part by allocating fish quotas equally and fairly. “We are doing our part. Your responsibility as stakeholders is to add value to our raw materials and at the same time to create job opportunities by employing more people in this sector,” Esau said.

 

He highlighted the importance of the workshop saying that all decisions taken during the workshop would assist the ministry in the alignment of its resources strategic plan for NDP4 in terms of achieving Vision 2030. Esau explained that the objective of the consultation process was to engage all stakeholders considering the fact that they have a major stake in the fisheries sector.

 

“Be it economic, social, political or business, we all have a role to play in the country’s vision to reduce unemployment through job creation and value addition of our products.  We are all aware that NDP4 was launched last year by President Hifikepunye Pohamba with the emphasis on high and sustainable economic growth, employment creation, increased income equality and poverty reduction,” Esau said.

 

He requested all stakeholders in the fishing sector to work towards the realisation of the goals of NDP4, which include increased manufacturing, value addition and employment creation. “I am appealing to all stakeholders to make positive contributions towards this exercise and to buy into this strategic plan that is aligned to NPD4, so that eventually this document becomes ours instead of that of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources [alone],” Esau said.

 

Preliminary figures from the Namibia Statistics Agency  indicate that the fishing industry's contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the year 2012 was 3.1 percent, which is a slight reduction from 2011 when it stood at 3.6 percent.

 

The final value of exports in the fishing sector stood at N$5.1 billion in 2011, compared to N$4.4 billion in 2010. This was due to the increase in value addition and increased fish landings.

 

The fishing industry employs about 13 000 workers of whom about 43 percent are seagoing and 57 percent are involved in onshore processing.

 

The hake sector, which is the main employer in the fishing industry, employs 9 000 people. The fisheries sector is the third largest economic sector in terms of contribution to the GDP, which stood at about N$3.9 billion during 2011, according to data from the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources. The fisheries industry is expected to grow to N$4.2 billion at the end of the current economic cycle.

 

 

The Canadian Atlantic halibut fishery, located off the coasts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, has achieved Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification following an independent, third-party assessment against the global MSC standard conducted by SCS Global Services. The client is the Atlantic Halibut Council representing the main associations of commercial halibut harvesters in eastern Canada. This certification represents the first Atlantic halibut fishery to be certified to the MSC global standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries.

 

About the Canadian Atlantic halibut fishery

 

The Atlantic Halibut Council consists of a significant portion of processors and harvesters in the provinces of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. All Atlantic halibut caught by Canadian harvesters using demersal long lines, demersal trawls and gill nets in Northwest Atlantic Fishing Organization (NAFO) fishing zones 3NOPs, 4VWX and 5Zc in Atlantic Ocean waters are included in the MSC certificate. Harvesters and processors of Atlantic halibut in these areas that are not currently members of the Atlantic Halibut Council are able to join the organization to share in the MSC certificate. Companies that handle the products from the fishery have the opportunity to become MSC Chain of Custody certified to sell products carrying the MSC ecolabel into the marketplace.

The Atlantic halibut fishery is managed by Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans with a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) of 2,200 metric tonnes in the quota year ending March 31, 2013 in the zones covered by the MSC certificate. The fishery is managed as part of the overall groundfish fishery in the area and includes catches of Atlantic halibut landed from directed fishing trips as well as bycatch when directing for other species. The primary market for Atlantic halibut is in Canada, the United States and the European Union in both fresh and frozen products.

 

Cooperative efforts to attain achievement

 

Bruce Chapman, executive director of the Atlantic Halibut Council, says, "Our great efforts to rebuild this resource over the past 10-15 years and strict management by DFO has been rewarded by our achievement of MSC certification for our fishery. We take pride in the cooperative effort the Atlantic Halibut Council and DFO take every year to monitor our fishery, deliver information and assess data to ensure we are cautiously managing our fishery.  With significant increases in the fishery over recent years in a challenging and changing natural environment we feel MSC certification has confirmed our ability to use our knowledge to sustain our fishery for the future."

 

Demonstrated sustainability for this and future generations

 

"We congratulate the Atlantic Halibut Council and their collaborative efforts to achieve certification against the global, science-based MSC standard,” said Kerry Coughlin, the Americas regional director for the MSC. “Halibut is prime whitefish with high demand in North American east coast and global markets and this certification demonstrates to retail and restaurant customers that halibut landed by the Canadian Atlantic halibut fishery are harvested in a well-managed and sustainable manner to preserve the stock for this and future generations."

 

About SCS Global Services

 

The client contracted with SCS Global Services, based in Emeryville, CA, to conduct the independent, third-party assessment against the MSC standard.  A team of scientific experts reviewed information provided by the client, DFO and other stakeholders in the fishery to evaluate the Atlantic halibut against based on the three Principles of the MSC standard: the sustainability of the fish stock, its impact on the environment, and the management system in place.

 

More Information

 

For media inquiries, please contact media@msc.org

Τραγικό θάνατο βρήκαν έξι Ρώσοι ναύτες, μέλη του πληρώματος αλιευτικού, στο λιμάνι του Ουακανάι στο βόρειο τμήμα της Ιαπωνίας, μετέδωσε το Associated Press.

 

Το ναυτικό δυστύχημα σημειώθηκε τα ξημερώματα της Πέμπτης εντός των χώρων του «Ταϊγκάν», σημαίας Καμπότζης, το οποίο χρησιμοποιείται για την αλιεία καβουριών. Η κινητοποίηση των Αρχών στη νήσο Χοκάιντο ήταν τεράστια, με πλωτά σκάφη του Λιμενικού και ειδικά φουσκωτά της Πυροσβεστικής Υπηρεσίας να σπεύδουν στο σημείο.

Παράλληλα, ασθενόφορα έκαναν την εμφάνισή τους στην προβλήτα του λιμανιού, προκειμένου να προσφέρουν τις πρώτες βοήθειες στους τραυματίες. Σύμφωνα με το ιαπωνικό κρατικό κανάλι NHK, η φωτιά εκδηλώθηκε στη 01.00 τα ξημερώματα, τοπική ώρα (18.00 το απόγευμα της Τετάρτης, ώρα Ελλάδος).

 

Συνολικά 23 άνθρωποι αποτελούσαν το πλήρωμα του αλιευτικού, με τουλάχιστον τρεις να μεταφέρονται με τραύματα στο νοσοκομείο της πόλης. Χρειάστηκαν περίπου 12 ώρες μέχρι οι πυροσβέστες να καταφέρουν να θέσουν υπό έλεγχο τη μεγάλη πυρκαγιά, η οποία προκάλεσε σοβαρές υλικές ζημιές στο πλοίο.

 

Η Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή κοινοποίησε στις αρμόδιες αρχές των Νήσων Φερόες την πρόθεσή της να λάβει μέτρα για να στηρίξει τη βιωσιμότητα της αλιείας της ρέγγας, η οποία ασκείται από κοινού με τις συγκεκριμένες νήσους.

 

Η κοινοποίηση αυτή αποτελεί ένα πρώτο βήμα που σκοπό έχει να δώσει στις Νήσους Φερόες τη δυνατότητα να τοποθετηθούν επί του θέματος πριν από τη λήψη των μέτρων. Τα μέτρα ενδέχεται να περιλαμβάνουν περιορισμούς στις εισαγωγές ρέγγας και συναφών ειδών που αλιεύονται από σκάφη συμφερόντων των Νήσων Φερόες, καθώς και περιορισμούς στην πρόσβαση των σκαφών τους στα λιμάνια της ΕΕ, εκτός εάν πρόκειται για λόγους ασφαλείας.

 

Το απόθεμα ατλαντοσκανδιναβικής ρέγγας αλιεύεται από τη Νορβηγία, τη Ρωσική Ομοσπονδία, την Ισλανδία, τις Νήσους Φερόες και την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση σύμφωνα με μέτρα διαχείρισης που έχουν θεσπιστεί από κοινού με τις χώρες αυτές μετά από διαβουλεύσεις. Οι Νήσοι Φερόες αποχώρησαν από τις διαβουλεύσεις σχετικά με τη διαχείριση του ιχθυαποθέματος για το 2013 και ανακοίνωσαν ότι θα ορίσουν αυτόνομη ποσόστωση κατά 145 % υψηλότερη σε σχέση με την ποσόστωση του 2012. Αυτό έγινε σε μια στιγμή κατά την οποία όλα τα άλλα μέρη είχαν συμφωνήσει να μειώσουν τις ποσοστώσεις τους κατά 26 % για λόγους διατήρησης του αποθέματος.

 

Με την απόφασή τους αυτή, απειλείται σε μεγάλο βαθμό η βιωσιμότητα του αποθέματος, ενώ μειώνονται κατά πολύ οι δυνατότητες ανάκτησής του. Τα μέτρα της Επιτροπής σκοπό έχουν να διασφαλίσουν τη βιωσιμότητα του ιχθυαποθέματος, προκειμένου να αποφευχθεί η εξάντλησή του, η οποία θα σήμαινε απώλεια του εισοδήματος για πολλούς αλιείς και τις οικογένειές τους. Βασίζονται δε στον κανονισμό (ΕΕ) αριθ. 1026/2012, ο οποίος προβλέπει τη θέσπιση μέτρων κατά χωρών που αδυνατούν να συνεργαστούν με την ΕΕ για τη διαχείριση αποθεμάτων κοινού ενδιαφέροντος και θεσπίζουν μέτρα διαχείρισης που θέτουν σε κίνδυνο τα ιχθυαποθέματα.

 

Οι Νήσοι Φερόες είναι αυτοδιοικούμενο έδαφος της Δανίας και δεν αποτελούν μέλος της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης.

 

Balance salmones, choritos, pesca, abalones, algas 2012