FISH FOCUS’ Post

CANADA ANNOUNCES A MACKEREL BAIT FISHERY The Government of Canada says it is taking decisive action to rebuild its Atlantic mackerel stock, which has faced important declines over the last few years, so that the fisheries which rely upon on Atlantic mackerel can continue to thrive for generations to come. https://lnkd.in/eeGtTEsi

Catch limits for rock lobster and Pacific bluefin tuna are being reviewed, with consultation opening today, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones said. “These rock lobster fisheries are valuable for the economy and culturally. The fisheries provide jobs, bring significant export income for New Zealand, and are popular with recreational fishers,” said Minister Jones. “It’s important that we strike the right balance between getting the most value possible from these fisheries while ensuring their sustainability. This is reflected in the proposals.” 🔗 Read more online! #catchlimits #oceansandfisheriesminister #review #shanejones #RestaurantAndCafeNZ #KiwiHospo #HospoLife #Hospitality #ChefLife #BaristaLife #NZChefs #NZFoodservice #Foodservice #HospitalityNZ #RestaurantNZ

The new commercial whelk fishery has opened in eastern Nova Scotia. Cape Breton-Canso MP Mike Kelloway, who is also Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, met with harvesters in Louisbourg to celebrate the first season opening of the commercial whelk fishery in the waters off Eastern Cape Breton. Fishing began earlier in July and the first catch of the commercial fishery has been landed, the federal government said. The federal government said the whelk fishery in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Area 4Vs was licensed only for exploratory harvesting, the fishery has now transitioned to commercial and supports 70 jobs. The Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for the whelk fishery in NAFO Area 4Vs is 700 tonnes and fishing typically occurs between July and December, according to the federal government. Whelk is an edible mollusc, or sea snail, which is exported from Canada primarily to China, Japan, and Vietnam, the federal government noted. There is one commercial whelk licence holder in Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Area 4Vs, the federal government said, adding that because less than five licence holders harvest whelk in this area, information regarding landings and landed values cannot be provided due to privacy considerations. #dfo #whelk #whelkfishery

Fisheries and Oceans Canada / Pêches et Océans Canada reopens the #commercial #Northern #cod #fishery in #Newfoundland and #Labrador. 🇨🇦🌊🐟🛥️ 📌 After 32 years, the fishery is reinstated in Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Divisions 2J3KL with a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) of 18,000 tonnes for #Canada for the 2024 season. 🗣️ "Ending the Northern cod moratorium is a #historic #milestone for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. [...] As a government, we remain steadfast in our commitment to fostering #sustainable and #economically #prosperous #fisheries that honour our shared resources for generations to come," Diane Lebouthiller, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard. 🎯 The historic milestone on paper is less so for practical purposes, as this year's TAC of 18,000 tons actually represents an increase of just 5,000 tons over last year when #DFO managed a limited fishery under strict conditions. 🟣🔵 Read full details here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dTumPezt

Scotland’s Peterhead port breaks fish landings record, surpasses last year’s total The Peterhead Port Authority (PPA) has set a new record for fish landings in 2024, with the total value of catches surpassing £257 million ($322.7m) by the end of November. This represents a significant increase from last year's total of £232m, further reinforcing Peterhead's status as Europe's largest fisheries port, the PPA said in a statement. Click below to read the full story from María Feijóo. Undercurrent News Peterhead Port Authority https://lnkd.in/di9REkZs

Yesterday, the Fisheries and Oceans Canada / Pêches et Océans Canada Minister Diane Lebouthiller was in the Senate for Question Period. I asked why DFO is not adopting innovative technologies and methods, generally, but specifically as it relates to stopping illegal activity in the valuable elver fishery. DFO’s inaction is deeply troubling, but the fact that their inaction has caused the shut down the legal fishery is inexcusable. This shut down has had a devastating effect on the regulated license holders, their families and rural Nova Scotia. Yes, there have been arrests of those who continue to fish illegally (https://lnkd.in/e_u5eEB2), but this last ditch enforcement effort would not be needed if DFO had followed the State of Maine’s lead in how to prevent these problems in the first place. To this end, I was pleased to hear that the Minister visited the State of Maine this spring to learn about their successful efforts (see this excellent CBC story on Maine’s success: https://lnkd.in/epZJefdu). However, her visit does not address the inexcusable fact that DFO officials NEVER reached out to their counterparts in Maine over the last six years, as recommended by the elver license holders. If you want to learn more about this issue see our Senate Fisheries Committee’s March 17th meeting with Patrick C. Keliher, Commissioner, Department of Marine Resources with the State of Maine (the session starts at 9:08 am) https://lnkd.in/eMyW4KUr). Importantly, during my questioning, the Minister committed to re-opening the elver fishery no later than the spring of 2025. This does not make up for the enormous economic losses suffered by license holders and their families and communities as a result of these closures, but it does offer some hope. Unfortunately, there was no word on when the Department will move forward with its procurement commitment to implement an Elver Traceability System to "track the harvesting, possession, and movement of elvers along the Canadian supply chain." I hope that they do. Canadian innovators have the solutions!

https://lnkd.in/ef8PbN8B In this article, Andre Standing first comments on the design and rationale of access fees for fishing vessels of foreign origin, providing hypothesis why these are so low in most African countries. He then illustrates his point looking at the examples of Ghana and Namibia fisheries. In the second part of the article, the author discusses under which conditions industrial fishing vessels of foreign origin should be given access, or not, to African coastal countries waters, and argues for a re-think of access fees design, making four policy considerations.

Cod in Canada: no recovery, no 'historic milestone' Strange things are happening in Canada. The federal fisheries minister Diane Lebouthillier announced today, 26 June, that the ban on cod fishing imposed 32 years will be lifted [1]. She justified the reopening of the cod fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador with some signs of recovery in the northern cod stock. But… Lebouthillier, installed as minister in July 2023, is under pressure from the Canadian seafood industry over her decisions, to ban net-cage salmon farming in British Columbia by 2029, for example [2]. Could it be that she felt the need of pouring oil on troubled water ? The minister describes the ending of the moratorium on northern cod as a 'historic milestone'. But in fact, it is only a small increase in a very modest amount that has already been authorised in recent years under the management of the Department of Fisheries and Ocean (DFO). As recently as March, DFO announced that it had not seen any growth in the northern cod stock since 2016 [3]. And in November year, DFO warned that the stock in southern Newfoundland was still in danger [4]. The news about cod in the Gulf of St Lawrence is even worse: the stock is nearly wiped out. After a DFO warning five years ago that extinction was likely, the first assessment since then shows no sign of improvement, DFO said in May [5]. What are the reasons for comunicating of a 'historic' change of an apparently unchanged sitation? The 1992 moratorium, initially only for two years, took the cod industry by surprise overnight and was a fatal blow to tens of thousands of fish workers. Most of them will have settled for another job in the meantime, but it is understandable that some still want to resume the fishing of yesteryear. On the other hand, given the weak signs of recovery, if any, impatience is certainly not the appropriate attitude. ——— Sources: [1] https://lnkd.in/d8fC3UnR [2] https://lnkd.in/dREnBVX2 [3] https://lnkd.in/dazm4RgF [4] https://lnkd.in/dScZQS8U [5] https://lnkd.in/dtqByU8H

As well as being a conservation, ethical and marine ecosystem issue, whaling is also a political issue. This has been made clear today in Iceland, where the actions of certain 'politicians' have left a horrible stain on the reputation of the country. Today, Iceland has granted two whaling permits to hunt fin and minke whales for at least five years. Under the new permits, 209 fin whales and 217 minke whales can be slaughtered each year between June and September. This permission was granted by a caretaker government against the stated ambition of the main parties and the will of the people, the majority of whom are against whaling. So when the interim prime minister, Bjarni Benediktsson, decided to grant these permits as one of his last actions in a caretaker role, it raised questions. If it's not for the people, not due to political policy, and certainly not down to any demand for whale meat, could it be due to his close ties to the country's whalers? I hope the new government in Iceland will open an immediate investigation into this decision when in office and try to restore some faith in the country and its leadership. The slaughter of whales is utterly disgusting and damaging not just to Iceland's reputation but to the marine environment. Put simply, murdering these ecosystem engineers, especially in a biodiversity crisis, should be a crime. It should not be a political favour. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eXhxZ7kg

Happy World Fisheries Day! Today we recognise the importance of a thriving fishing industry and the vital role of sustainable fisheries in our nation’s economy and ecosystem. As a global leader in sustainable fisheries management, our commitment to preserving these resources remains strong. Some of our current efforts include: - Working with our regional partners to sustainably manage highly migratory and shared fish stocks of importance to Australia through a range of international fisheries organisations - Reviewing the Commonwealth Fisheries Harvest Strategy Policy and Bycatch Policy to align the latest scientific research and best practices for sustainable fishing - Working with the fishing industry, the CSIRO and international partners to support the continuing recovery of the Southern Bluefin Tuna. On this World Fisheries Day, we’re proud to highlight our commitment to sustainable practices that protect our oceans and support the fishing communities that rely on them. 👉 Learn more about our fisheries work and ongoing efforts, here: https://brnw.ch/21wOPwN #worldfisheriesday #sustainablefishing