Aquaculture and Fisheries World Briefing

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

 

 

Τρίτος σταθμός της εκπομπής « Η ζωή στη Ρωσία» είναι το Δέλτα του Βόλγα, στην ευρύτερη περιοχή του Άστραχαν. Στο σημείο αυτό, ο μεγαλύτερος ποταμός της Ευρώπης εκβάλλει στην Κασπία Θάλασσα.

 

Ο μοναδικής ομορφιάς υδροβιότοπος είναι ιδανικός για ψάρεμα και αποτελεί προστατευόμενο καταφύγιο άγριας πανίδας. Η ανθρώπινη παρουσία είναι σπάνια στην τεράστια έκταση των 30 χιλιάδων τετραγωνικών χιλιομέτρων.

 

Παράλληλα, το ποτάμι αποτελεί ιδανικό προορισμό για τους λάτρεις του ψαρέματος. Καθ’ όλη τη διάρκεια του χρόνου καταφθάνουν ψαράδες από ολόκληρη τη Ρωσία και από το εξωτερικό.

 

Οι κατασκηνώσεις των ψαράδων απλώνονται και στις δυο όχθες του Βόλγα. Από εδώ, οι βάρκες ταξιδεύουν για μια ολόκληρη ώρα μέχρι να φτάσουν στο σημείο, όπου ο ποταμός συναντά την Κασπία.

 

Οι ντόπιοι πιστεύουν ότι το ψάρεμα τους φέρνει σε επαφή με τη φύση. Είναι ένα πνευματικό παιχνίδι με στόχο να ξεγελάσεις τα ένστικτα των ψαριών. Η πρόκληση περιλαμβάνει την επιλογή του κατάλληλου δολώματος, τον εντοπισμό του ψαριού στο κατάλληλο σημείο και τη χρήση της καλύτερης δυνατής τεχνικής ψαρέματος.

 

Για τους ερασιτέχνες ψαράδες στόχος είναι να πιάσουν ένα μεγάλο ψάρι και να απολαύσουν τη διαδικασία. Για τους περισσότερους ντόπιους ωστόσο, το ψάρεμα δεν είναι χόμπι αλλά επάγγελμα. Πωλούν τα ψάρια, που πιάνουν στα δίxτυα τους, σε εμπόρους, ο οποίοι τα διαχωρίζουν και τα μεταφέρουν στα εργοστάσια κονσερβοποίησης, που βρίσκονται στην ακτή.

 

Τα ιχθυοαποθέματα στο ποτάμι ωστόσο, λιγοστεύουν όλο και περισσότερο. Βασική αιτία είναι η λαθροθηρία και η υπεραλίευση. Οι τουρίστες δεν σέβονται το φυσικό περιβάλλον και οι ψαροτουφεκάδες παρασύρονται από τον ενθουσιασμό τους και σκοτώνουν τα πολύτιμα ψάρια χωρίς λόγο.

 

Λίγο πριν την αναχώρηση, το συνεργείο της εκπομπής γεύεται το παραδοσιακό έδεσμα που ετοίμασαν οι ντόπιοι ψαράδες. Πρόκειται για την ούχα, την ρωσική εκδοχή της κακαβιάς.

 

Αφήνοντας πίσω τον υδροβιότοπο του Άστραχαν, το ταξίδι της εκπομπής «Η ζωή στη Ρωσία» συνεχίζεται με τον περίφημο Υπερσιβηρικό, πάνω στην μεγαλύτερη σιδηροδρομική γραμμή του κόσμου.

 

 

 

Σε ατύχημα από ανάφλεξη εκρηκτικών που χρησιμοποιούνται στην αλιεία και όχι σε πυροδότηση παγιδευμένου αυτοκινήτου οφείλεται η έκρηξη που σημειώθηκε χθες έξω από νοσοκομείο της Βεγγάζης στη Λιβύη, ανακοίνωσαν οι αρχές, από την οποία έχασαν τη ζωή τους τουλάχιστον τρεις άνθρωποι, μεταξύ των οποίων κι ένα παιδί.

 

Δεκατέσσερις άνθρωποι τραυματίσθηκαν από την έκρηξη, που σημειώθηκε χθεςκοντά στην είσοδο των επισκεπτών παιδιατρικής κλινικής, και από αυτούς οι τρεις έχουν ήδη λάβει εξιτήριο, ανακοίνωσε σήμερα το υπουργείο Υγείας.

 

Σύμφωνα με το δημοτικό σύμβουλο Τάρικ Μποζρίμπε, η έκρηξη σημειώθηκε στο όχημα ενός ψαρά που μετέφερε εκρηκτικά και σκοτώθηκε και ο ίδιος. «Θέλουμε οι πολίτες μας να αισθάνονται ασφαλείς, θέλουμε μία δύναμη για να σταματά τα ύποπτα οχήματα και να προστατεύει τους πολίτες», πρόσθεσε.

 

Η ανεπάρκεια του κράτους είναι η βαθύτερη αιτία της έκρηξης υπογραμμίζουν οργανώσεις ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων, σημειώνοντας ότι δεν υπάρχουν έλεγχοι, στρατός και ασφάλεια. «Τα εκρηκτικά ετοιμάζονται σε αυτοσχέδιες βόμβες και ρίχνονται στη θάλασσα για να πιάσουν περισσότερα ψάρια. Πολλοί τα χρησιμοποιούν. Όμως το ερώτημα είναι το εξής: εάν ένας ψαράς μπορεί να αποκτήσει εύκολα αυτά τα υλικά, τότε τι είδους όπλα μπορεί άραγε να προμηθευτούν οι παραστρατιωτικοί;», αναρωτήθηκε ο Ζέιντ αλ Ράγκας, μέλος μίας τέτοιας οργάνωσης.

 

Πηγή:ΑΜΠΕ

 

Minister for the Marine Simon Coveney has said the practice of discarding millions of tonnes of fish which do not comply with the EU fish quota rules should come to an end within the next six years.

 

The announcement follows 36 hours of talks - hosted by the Irish presidency of the EU - with member states on far reaching reform of the common fisheries policy.

 

Europe's fisheries policy has been dogged by accusations that on the one hand it has badly depleted fish stocks, while on the other the fishing industry itself has become less sustainable.

 

It's also been seen as too expensive, while the practice of discards - the dumping of millions of tonnes of fish because they don't comply with the quota system - has infuriated activists and consumers.

 

The aim of the reform is to end discards, to prevent the dangerous depletion of fish stocks, and to restore the viability of the industry.

 

A ban on 93% of discards will take effect immediately, while a full ban should be phased in by 2019.

 

In exceptional circumstances some boats will be allowed to discard a maximum of 5% of the fish caught.

 

Fishermen will also have to catch only as much fish as will allow a particular species to remain sustainable.

 

In Irish waters, fishermen must land pelagic fish involving mackerel and herring by 1 January 2015 while the remainder of trawlers fishing out of Ireland must land all of their catch by January 2016.

 

Minister Coveney will now have to seek the approval of the European parliament which has in the past demanded zero discards.

Sean O'Donoghue, Chief Executive of Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation has welcomed the agreement.

 

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland Mr O'Donoghue said that he believed that the agreement delivers a workable plan to deal with discards.

 

Mr O'Donoghue said that out of its five key priorities, between three and four of them were included in this agreement.

 

He said that the formula reached at EU level will in certain instances allow for a very small amount of fish discards.

 

However he said that the agreement would reduce discards by up to 90%.

 

Anglers are calling on MSPs and ministers to stop protecting salmon farmers from proper scrutiny over parasites and force them to publish weekly sea-lice count data by law.

 

They say that while a few sea lice on a large adult fish are not a problem, even a light infestation on fragile juvenile smolts will be fatal, and this is a test of the Scottish Government's commitment to conserving wild salmon and trout.

 

The Salmon & Trout Association (STA) believes the Aquaculture and Fisheries Bill, which will be debated in the Scottish Parliament next week, is an opportunity to ensure the relevant information on sea lice from each individual fish farm in Scotland is made public.

 

The association wants parliamentarians to amend the current Bill, or use existing powers in the Aquaculture Act 2007, by publishing a list of salmon farms the Scottish Government's own Fish Health In spectorate (FHI) has noted as breaching sea-lice thresholds.

 

The STA has published the identity of 67 farms noted during FHI inspections in 2011 and 2012 as having breached Code of Good practice thresholds of sea lice.

 

Scott Landsburgh, chief executive of the Scottish Salmon Producers' Organisation (SSPO), said the real issue was not the numbers of sea lice, but whether or not they had any impact on the wild fish, and that requires information from both farmers and wild fish interests.

 

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "We welcome the enhanced voluntary sea lice data publication scheme from the SSPO, based on recognised wild fish catchments, as a positive step forward."

 

Taipei - Local fishermen can not only operate safely in expanded fishing areas in the East China Sea, but their catch will increase by at least 10 percent after the historic fishery pact signed on April 10 between Taiwan and Japan took effect on May 10, a top government fishery official said yesterday.

 

James Sha, director general of the Fisheries Agency under the Council of Agriculture, made the remarks in an interview with the Central News Agency.

 

The pact guarantees Taiwanese fishermen the right to operate in designated areas in the East China Sea, including those surrounding the disputed Diaoyutai Islands, which are claimed by both sides. The agreement also gives Taiwan an additional fishing zone of 4,530 square kilometers (1,400 square nautical miles), bringing the total free fishing area to 74,000 square meters in the East China Sea, which lies south of the 27-degrees north latitude and north of the Sakishima Islands.

 

Sha said that while the tuna fishing season just kicked off in early May, local fishermen will be able to legally and safely carry out their fishing operations in the expanded fishing zone, thus boosting their annual fish catch by 10 percent, especially for sailfish, blackfin tuna, yellowfin tuna, shark, common dolphinfish, squid, and sea bream.

 

The average annual fish catch in the designated fishing zone for the last three years is estimated at over 40,000 metric tons, according to statistics released by the Fisheries Agency.

 

Sha also stressed that longline fishing boats with a capacity of 20 tons will be required to have a vessel monitoring system (VMS) for safety purposes. Those fishermen who want to engage in tuna fishing operations are required to submit a catch documentation scheme (CDS) before commencing fishing.

 

The fishery agreement was signed at the 17th round of Taipei-Tokyo fishery talks held on April 10 at Taipei Guest House in downtown Taipei. The Taiwanese delegation was headed by Liao Liou-yi, chairman of Taiwan's Association for East Asian Relations, while the Japanese delegation was led by Mitsuo Ohashi, head of Japan's Interchange Association.

 

Taiwan has for years hoped to forge a consensus with Japan on settling the fishery disputes that frequently occur in the region, where Taiwanese fishing boats are often harassed by Japanese coast guard vessels.

 

Taiwan and Japan had held 16 rounds of fishing rights talks since 1996, most recently in February 2009, in an attempt to resolve bilateral differences on fishing rights in waters adjacent to the Diaoyutais, known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan.

 

The islands are under Japan's administrative control but are also claimed by Taiwan and China, and their waters have served as traditional fishing grounds for Taiwanese fishermen.

 

Local fishermen expressed gratitude to the government for the latest fishery pact signed with Japan. "We would like to thank all government units for signing the deal, which is expected to better safeguard fishermen's rights to operate in the disputed seas," said Hsu Shun-fa, head of a fishermen's association in New Taipei's Wanli District.

 

Spring fishery opened on April 29 and runs until the end of June.

 

Maritime lobster fishermen are tying up their boats, protesting prices they say are so low they can no longer afford to fish. While prices are a constant flashpoint, this year a ‘stunning’ development and a new stamp of sustainability are complicating matters. Here are three challenges fishermen are grappling with this season:

Prices and protest

“This is huge,” says Colin Runighan, a 37-year-old lobster fisherman from Launching Pond, PEI, about the strike that started in PEI earlier this week and spread to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. “Fishermen are being taken advantage of and people are getting rich off of our backs.”

 

Mr. Runighan, a fisherman of 11 years, has never seen prices so low – processors are offering around $3 per pound for lobster and fishermen say they need at least $5 to survive.

 

In other areas, such as Maine, Newfoundland and Quebec, lobster fishermen are getting higher prices, between $4.50 and $5, according to the Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association.

 

With higher fuel prices, increased costs for bait, insurance and crew payments, Mr. Runighan says he’s saving money by tying up his boat.

“I’d be $10,000 in the hole at the end of the season. I could go pick bottles out of the ditch and I still wouldn’t be $10,000 in the hole.”

 

The spring fishery opened on April 29 and runs until the end of June. Mr. Runighan warns he may sacrifice the season and says he is not alone.

But the processors aren’t budging.

 

“Could we put the price up to end this? Right now, unless the marketplace changes, no we can’t,” says Jeff Malloy, the CEO of Acadian Fishermen’s Co-operative Association, a lobster processor in PEI.

 

He cites huge catches in North America for the lower prices – 150 million pounds in 2006 and 300 million by 2012.

 

A low U.S. dollar has also contributed to pressure on the industry, as has the recession – lobster is considered a luxury food.

 

As for price discrepancies, Mr. Malloy says lobsters going to live markets are fetching higher prices; most of the lobster caught now in PEI is for processing.

 

Mr. Malloy’s plant employs about 200 people and has an annual payroll of more than $3-million. With the strike on, he has had to close his plant – a big blow to a small community.

 

A shellfish stunner

European consumers have developed a taste for humanely treated lobsters – some German retailers have even stopped selling lobster after lobbying by concerned groups. In response, earlier this year, a New Brunswick processor hoping to reach into European markets purchased a “CMP humane shellfish stunner” from Charlottetown Metal Products. This was CMP’s first sale in North America, says CMP’s Trevor Spinney, adding it has sold five stunners in Britain and Ireland.

 

This machine has two large conveyer belts that carry 1,000 kilograms of lobster an hour to a water bath and electrodes that incapacitate the crustacean so that they won’t feel any pain before being cooked in boiling water. The technology was adapted from the “CrustaStun,” a smaller machine used in Europe that stuns one crab or lobster at a time. Lobster veterinarian Jean Lavallée says no one will ever be able to prove conclusively if lobsters feel pain when they are boiled alive. “So therefore, it is our obligation to treat lobsters with as much respect as possible,” he says.

 

The treatment of the crustaceans is a big file for the Lobster Council of Canada. “The stunning machine is a good step,” says president Geoff Irvine, noting the situation in Germany. His council has prepared a handbook explaining how Canadian lobsters are handled for the export market.

 

A greener lobster

Maine lobster was designated a sustainable fishery in March by the Marine Stewardship Council – the gold seal in terms of certification. It means the fishery meets international environmental standards including the health of the lobster stock, good management practices and protection of the ecosystem.

 

Achieving the certification is a costly – about $100,000. But it could give Maine lobster, which is Canada’s biggest competition, a price edge. Lobster fisheries here are trying for the same certification – a process that takes about 16 months. Marc Surette, of the Nova Scotia Fish Packers Association, says the certification is a marketing tool that retailers like.

 

 

 

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

The new vacuum coater will contribute to Nofima maintaining its position as a leading supplier of experimental fish feeds.

 

Nofima’s Feed Technology Centre in Bergen has acquired a new vacuum coater in order to be able to deliver even more precise research on fish feed. This coater was made on commission from Senior Scientist Tor Andreas Samuelsen in Bergen and took six months to deliver.

 

“This machine has been on our wish list here in Bergen for a long time. It provides a completely new degree of precision in production of experimental feed, and it is very important since the focus on alternative oils in the feed is increasing,” says Odd Helge Romarheim, Manager of the Feed Technology Centre.

 

A vacuum coater is used primarily to add various feed oils to pellets, but may also be used to add enzymes or other nutrients that are soluble in oil or water. A feed pellet contains many pores. The vacuum coater extracts the air from the pores then sprays them with the fluid and when the air is readmitted to the coater, the fluid is pressed into the pores of the pellet.

 

“We can weigh in feed and oil manually, we have visual control of the entire process and it is quick and easy to clean between each treatment. These criteria are extremely important when we produce experimental feed and we believe that this machine will contribute to Nofima maintaining its position as a leading supplier of experimental fish feeds,” concludes Romarheim.

 

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1WG9spkwle4#t=0s

 

Χιλιάδες μικρά λαβράκια (τσιγκρίδια) πιάνουν καθημερινά ερασιτέχνες ψαράδες, παρείσακτοι και ντόπιοι, στερώντας τη δυνατότητα του εμπλουτισμού, της λιμνοθάλασσας του Αιτωλικού, με μεγάλα ψάρια.

Το φαινόμενο της ερασιτεχνικής αλιείας, στα γεφύρια του Αιτωλικού, ιδιαίτερα στα δυτικά, τα τελευταία χρόνια έχει πάρει διαστάσεις επιδημίας. Υπήρχαν οι ντόπιοι ερασιτέχνες, οι οποίοι ψάρευαν την τσιπούρα και το λαβράκι, ενώ τα τελευταία 15 χρόνια, το ψάρεμα με το λεπτό πλαστικό δόλωμα, οδήγησε πολλούς στην ερασιτεχνική αλιεία που κάθε άλλο παρά ερασιτεχνική είναι, καθότι αρκετοί είναι αυτοί που εμπορεύονται τα ψάρια που πιάνουν.

Το χειρότερο, σήμερα, είναι η αλίευση, με το μικρό πλαστικό δόλωμα, του μικρού λαβρακιού που το βάρος του κυμαίνεται από τα 50 στα 100 γραμμάρια. Αυτά τα ψάρια που θα μπορούσαν να μεγαλώσουν στη βορινή λιμνοθάλασσα του Αιτωλικού, στο Κανάλι, και να φτάσουν το βάρος του μισού κιλού, των 2 ή των 5 κιλών, υφίστανται τη γενοκτονία στα γεφύρια, ενώ την ίδια στιγμή κανείς δεν ενδιαφέρεται.

Πρέπει να μπει, γρήγορα και άμεσα, ένα τέλος, προκειμένου να σταματήσει η ΓΕΝΟΚΤΟΝΙΑ αυτή, διαφορετικά, η καταστροφή θα συνεχίζεται σε βάρος της τοπικής κοινωνίας και οικονομίας.

Με απλά λόγια, η ερασιτεχνική αλιεία να περιοριστεί στην τσιπούρα, στην εποχή της, και στην αλίευση του λαβρακιού τις νυχτερινές ώρες, με αυστηρό έλεγχο. ΠΡΕΠΕΙ σύντομα, όλοι οι εμπλεκόμενοι σύλλογοι, ελευθέρων αλιέων και ερασιτεχνών, να βάλουν φρένο στην καταστροφή.

Να σημειώσουμε ότι ο Σύλλογος ερασιτεχνών αλιέων Αιτωλικού παραμένει αδρανής τα τελευταία 10 χρόνια, καθώς κανείς δεν ενδιαφέρεται για το μέλλον της θάλασσάς μας, για τους ξένους που έχουν εισβάλει στο χώρο και για την προοπτική που υπάρχει για την οργανωμένη ερασιτεχνική αλιεία η οποία παραμένει βασικός πυρήνας πολιτισμού και τουρισμού για το νησί του Αιτωλικού και για την περιοχή μας.

Τα γιοφύρια - μηνιαία εφημερίδα του Αιτωλικού

Namibia sighting suggests much-hunted whales are regaining ancient migratory routes, or may be down to climate disruption.

 

Astonishing news from Walvis Bay, Namibia, where scientists from the Namibian Dolphin project on Tuesday confirmed the sighting of a grey whale. Not only has this north Pacific species been extinct in the Atlantic since the 18th century, it has never been seen south of the equator.

 

The significance of this sighting is creating excitement among marine biologists. It may suggest good news – that the great whales are recovering from the disastrous hunts of the 20th century. Or it may indicate that the changing climate is disrupting their feeding habits – with unknown consequences.

 

A unique sighting of a grey whale in the Mediterranean in May 2010 – the animal got as far as Israel – has overturned many preconceptions, with some scientists speculating that this much-hunted great whale – reduced to near extinction in the 20th century – is regaining ancient migratory routes.

 

John Paterson, of the Walvis Bay Strandings Network, says the whale was first sighted by tour boats on dolphin watch on 4 May. The "strange whale" was confirmed as a grey, and photographed, by a member of his team on 12 May.

 

"The question is now, what is origin of this whale?" says Paterson. The photographs prove this is not the same individual that turned up in the Mediterranean, he says. "Is it another individual that has traverse the North-west Passage, or perhaps travelled around the southern tip of South America and across the Atlantic? Unfortunately, we'll never know the route it followed to get here."

 

Known as "devil fish" for the ferocity with which they fought the whalers (usually because the hunters targeted the calves, which the mothers fiercely defended), grey whales now permit themselves to be petted by tourists from whalewatch boats off Baja California. Their historic range included the Atlantic, with convincing historical evidence that Icelandic people hunted them. The whales may have migrated south to the Mediterranean to calve in the warmer waters of the Mediterranean, where they would also be relatively free from attack by orca, their only natural predators.

 

As shore-hugging, bottom-feeders, grey whales may have also been once common off British shores. A vertebra in the collection of the Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro, found in Cornwall, has been identified as belonging to a grey whale. The last records of grey whales in the Atlantic appear to coincide with the start of modern whaling off the coast of New England in the early 18th century, with the appearance of "scrag whales" off the island of Nantucket.

 

The southern African grey whale joins other whales where they should not be. In Cape Cod Bay off New England last year, an aerial reconnaissance team from the Provincetown Centre for Coastal Studies surveying the north Atlantic right whales feeding in the bay were amazed to find a bowhead whale – a strictly Arctic cetacean – among their number. Climate change and shifting ice have been attributed to its surprise appearance – with the same conditions possibly accounting for the Mediterranean grey whale, which may have crossed from the north Pacific to the Atlantic via the opened-up North-west Passage.

 

In his forthcoming book, Feral, George Monbiot cites a contemporary proposal to reintroduce grey whales to the Irish Sea by airlifting 50 animals there from California. Today's news from southern Africa (Walvis Bay translates as Whale Bay) indicates that the whales may be about to achieve their own reintroduction without the need of airpower.

 

UP TO 80 fishermen are expected to opt out of the profession this year, as overfishing and dwindling fish stocks draw dolphins closer to shore waters looking for food while the puffer fish continues to damage nets. 

 

About 120 fishermen holding a licence to operate smaller vessels less than 12 metres long, have applied to a different scheme to encourage fishermen to retire, leaving behind a smaller and more sustainable number of fishermen. 

 

There are currently between 450 and 500 licensed fishermen - applications have not been fully processed yet so a precise figure couldn’t be given. Kyriacou said the fisheries department expected to help between 70 and 80 of those licensed fishermen to retire, with some €3.0 million available in total. 

 

Fishermen who retire their small vessels will get €20,400 plus the value of their boat as designated by a committee within the fisheries’ department that should come to about €17,000 on average. Under previous equivalent schemes, 12 bigger vessels have been retired with between 20 and 25 vessels remaining. And whereas there used to be eight Cyprus-flagged trawlers, there are now just two that are active off Malta, Kyriacou said. 

 

Professional fishermen used to get state help for damaged nets that was set according to how often they went out to sea in the previous year and reached up to €1,700 a year for the busiest fishermen, Kyriacou said. With austerity measures in place, the government stopped paying the subsidy in 2012.

 

Kyriacou said that a different compensation scheme would help control the puffer fish population, which is a consistent problem for fishermen in Cyprus. 

 

Dolphins sometimes manage to get fish out of nets without injury to themselves and can be a nuisance to local fishermen, but it is the Lagocephalus puffer fish that can inflict greater damage to fishermen’s nets, the department’s Yiannos Kyriacou said. 

 

Puffer fish damage nets and impinge on fishermen’s income with the professional fishermen in the Famagusta district previously protesting on what they said were unreasonable fishing quotas. Daily Politis yesterday quoted a fisherman from Famagusta’s Paralimni as complaining about a pod of dolphins destroying their nets a few days ago.

 

For the second year running, a €150,000 programme whose expenses are split with the European Commission, allows registered fishermen to net puffer fish during the summer period (until September) in exchange for compensation. Trading puffer fish is illegal because of the species’ toxicity, but participating fishermen will get €3.0 per kilo, with the fish being disposed of as waste according to specified arrangements, Kyriacou said. Because puffer fish breed in June and July, the hope is that the scheme will control the population. 

 

The United Nations and the European Commission regulate fishing on regional and national levels. Restrictions vary from imposing fishing quotas to specifying fishing season and methods for specific species.  “We all fish in the same seas, there is no point for one country to protect a migrating species if they are not protected elsewhere,” Kyriacou said.

 

Curbs proposed on traditional sector during spawning period

 

An expert committee studying the impact of the monsoon trawling ban on the fish wealth of Kerala has suggested extension of the fishing holidays to 75 days for the mechanised sector, besides proposing a ban on the traditional fisheries sector too during the season.

 

The recommendations are likely to create a storm in the fisheries sector this monsoon season as the proposals will affect the mechanised and fisheries sectors alike. While the mechanised sector had been fiercely opposing the ban since its introduction, the traditional fishermen were all in support of the fishing holidays. The evaluation report comes after 25 years of the introduction of the seasonal ban in Kerala. It was in 1988 that the ban was first enforced in the State.

 

The panel has suggested the extension of the ban from 47 to 75 days starting June “for sustaining the beneficial impact of the trawl ban on fishery yields which has been lost in recent years in the mechanised sector.”

In the traditional sector, the committee felt that a 60-day-long ban on fishing using ringsein nets during the peak spawning period of April and May was required for conserving the pelagic spawning stock. Pelagic species, including oil sardines, mackerel and anchovy, constitute around 70 per cent of the annual landings in the State. The panel, which analysed the fishery data of 25 years of pre-and-post ban periods using a statistical model, reported that the “benefit of the trawl ban in terms of yield and value” had sustained only for 9 years after its introduction. The yield and value of resources netted by the mechanised sector had dropped since 2000, it said.

 

The committee headed by K. Sunil Muhammed, head of the Molluscan Fisheries Division of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi; had T.V. Sathianandan, principal scientist of the institute;, M.V. Baiju and P. Praveen, senior scientists of the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Kochi; P.S. Sivaprasad, technical expert from the fisheries department; P. Sahadevan, executive director, Fisheries Resources Management Society; and officials of the State Fisheries department as its members. They were asked to evaluate the impact of the monsoon trawl ban in sustaining the fish wealth of the State and review the changes in fishing methods and practices and its influence in the sustainability of resources.

 

The Muhammed panel came to the conclusion that there has been a positive impact on fishery yields in Kerala due to the introduction of the trawl ban from 1988. However, it lasted up to 1997, and thereafter, the yields started declining. The decline was to the tune of over one lakh tonnes after 2000, indicating that the benefits had not sustained. The panel has also prescribed cash benefits for fishermen during fishing holidays and sops for those following sustainable fishing.

TOKYO (Nikkei)--Farm-raised Bluefin tuna from Mexico is gaining credibility and popularity in Japan for sushi and sashimi, aided by competitive pricing and burgeoning supplies.

 

In years past, Mexican farm-raised Bluefin was considered to be of lower quality than that raised in Japan. But the fish shipped this season have been large, and more buyers at the wholesale markets have been tempted to give them a try.

 

The season for farm-raised Bluefin tuna air-imported from Mexico runs from fall to spring, and this year the supplies have been ample as more growers have gotten into the business.

 

Nearly 7,000 tuna were shipped from Mexico to Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market between January and April -- up six-fold from the same period last year. They accounted for nearly 70% of all farm-raised Bluefin tuna available at Tsukiji, compared with less than 30% last year.

 

Fueling the surge in use of Mexican farm-raised Bluefin tuna was a 30% drop in wholesale prices to less than 2,000 yen a kilogram that took place between last fall and the end of the year. With the tuna from Japan and Spain selling for over 1,000 yen/kg more, the comparative bargain was enough to persuade many conveyor-belt sushi restaurants and supermarkets to offer Bluefin tuna to their customers.

 

Wholesale prices have recovered 20-30% over the past two months. Mexican farm-raised Bluefin tuna is now selling for around 2,300 yen/kg at Tsukiji.

 

Buyers are increasingly switching to Mexican imports. Last year, sashimi from Spanish and Japanese tuna sold for 1,280 yen per 100 grams in Tokyo's supermarkets. This year they are selling Mexican tuna sashimi at around 980 yen/100g.