News
Wednesday, 20/05/2009
Rapid Press release MEMO/09/240; Brussels, 15 April 2009
The European Maritime Day was set up as one of the key actions of the EU's Integrated Maritime Policy launched in 2007. This day provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the important contribution which the maritime regions and sectors make to Europe's economic, social and cultural well-being. Maritime issues touch the lives of all EU citizens, whether or not they work with or live by the sea, and yet many of us remain unaware of their importance to us. Furthermore, Maritime Day helps raise awareness of the opportunities and challenges facing the maritime sector and encourages networking among its different players. This year, in cooperation with the Italian government, the European Commission is hosting a major 3-day stakeholder conference in Rome from 18 to 20 May. The conference brings together stakeholders and players from the European Union and third countries to discuss the global challenges faced by maritime Europe today. In addition, a large number of side events are taking place around the conference. Here stakeholders - be they national and regional governments, NGOs, employers, unions, scientific institutions, port authorities, environmental groups or other – will showcase their activities related to the sea, exchange best practices and get to know each other. Across the EU, around 40 other stakeholder-led events are planned, which will be targeted at professionals, civil society, the general public and the media. These local events take the form of conferences, workshops, debates or exhibitions, but also of open days at ports, harbours, museums and aquaria, or environmental school projects, study or press visits highlighting maritime projects and activities. The breadth of topics they will be covering – ranging from de-pollution and excellence in maritime transport to anti-piracy initiatives and the use of space technologies in European Maritime Policy – is testament to the extent to which maritime issues are intertwined with a vast array of issues.
Further information and documents can be found at: European Maritime Day
Tuesday, 22/04/2009
Press release IP/09/617; Brussels, 22 April 2009
The European Commission adopted a Green Paper on the future of the EU's Common Fisheries Policy. The paper analyses the shortcomings of the current Policy and launches a broad public consultation on how these shortcomings should be tackled. Fishermen and other interested parties from the sector, but also scientists, civil society and interested citizens, are invited to respond and have their say until 31 December 2009 on the future face of European fisheries. The consultation is the first step of the process which should bring about a radical reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.
Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Joe Borg said: "We are asking questions even on the fundamentals of the current policy and should leave no stone unturned. We are not looking for just another reform. It is time to design a modern, simple and sustainable system for managing fisheries in the EU, which is able to last well into the 21st century."
The purpose of the Green Paper adopted today is twofold: raise awareness of the challenges faced by the sector in recent years; and elicit a public response which can grow into a new, innovative and more consensual approach to fisheries regulation. It raises questions such as: How can we ensure the long-term sustainability and the viability of fisheries? How can overall fleet capacity be adapted while addressing the social concerns faced by coastal communities? How can a culture of compliance be further developed? How best can the CFP contribute to fisheries sustainability beyond EU waters?
The Paper analyses all the facets of fisheries policy today and explains why some problems persist despite the progress made since the reform of 2002. One of the main problems is the depleted state of European fish stocks: 88% of stocks are overfished (against a global average of 25%) and 30% are "outside safe biological limits", i.e. they cannot reproduce at normal rate because the parenting population is too depleted. Yet in many fisheries we keep fishing 2 or 3 times more than what fish stocks can sustain. This is mostly as a result of fleet overcapacity. Such overcapacity is in fact economically inefficient because not only does it deplete stocks but it also constantly drives the industry's profits down. Solutions need to be found to restore the worst-off stocks and at the same time guarantee that fish can continue to be a reliable source of revenue for fishermen.
Above and beyond overcapacity, the Paper identifies four other structural shortcomings of the present approach:
- the lack of precise policy objectives, especially with regard to ecological responsibility and integration with general maritime issues;
- a decision-making system that is too centralised and focused on short-term solutions which more often than not undermine long-term sustainability;
- a framework that does not give sufficient responsibility to the industry;
- the absence of political will towards compliance with the fishing limitations.
These issues have to be considered in a context where Europe imports two-thirds of its demand in fisheries products.
The Commission is concerned that if a better environmental sustainability of fishing is not achieved in the coming years, the consequence will be impoverished seas and an economically unviable fishing industry. If however the next reform projects the Common Fisheries Policy into the 21st century, the benefits will not just be limited to fishermen or coastal communities, but will also be shared by Europe's citizens.
Although the Commission is only legally bound to review some parts of the CFP by 2012, the prevailing situation, particularly as regards stocks and fleet overcapacity, has convinced it of the need to launch the reform process already now. The consultation launched today will close on 31 December 2009 and the Commission will sum up its results in the first half of 2010. After further consultation with stakeholders, the Commission will then prepare an impact assessment report and develop a proposal for a new basic regulation. This could then be presented to the European Parliament and Council early in 2011, with a view for adoption in 2012.
Further information and documents can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/reform
Tuesday, 17/03/2009
The European Commission adopted a long-term plan to improve the state of the northern hake stock in EU waters. This plan will replace the recovery plan which has been in place since 2004, and which has successfully helped the northern hake stock recover from almost collapse to the safe target size advised by scientists. The new plan wants to carry this positive trend forward through an approach that will secure the long-term sustainability of the northern hake stock. In line with the Common Fisheries Control Proposal this new long-term plan also foresees stricter monitoring, inspection and control measures.
Further information can be found on: http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/408&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Friday 13/02/09
AAAS annual meeting in Chicago 2009 and Fish & Fisheries "Early View" (Fish & Fisheries).
A study by marine biologists, presented at the AAAS annual meeting in Chicago and published online by the scientific journal Fish & Fisheries, used computer models to forecast the future of 1,066 commercially important species from across the globe. William Cheung et al. show that changing ocean temperatures and currents caused by climate change might lead to thousands of species to migrate polewards, including cod, herring, plaice. According to the BBC Dr. Cheung said in a press conference that on average, [marine] animals may shift their distribution towards the poles by 40km per decade. Also Atlantic cod on the east coast of the US may see a 50% reduction in some populations by 2050. Moreover the invasion of new species into unfamiliar environments could seriously disrupt ecosystems, and have a severe impact on biodiversity.
The results of this study stress the importance of developing tools for the monitoring in changes of fish populations. It is one of the objectives of FishPopTrace to develop of methodologies for monitoring long-term changes in the population structures of cod, herring, hake and common sole.
The article can be found on: "Projecting global marine biodiversity impacts under climate change scenarios" William W.L. Cheung, Vicky W.Y. Lam, Jorge L. Sarmiento, Kelly Kearney, Reg Watson, Daniel Pauly Published Online: Feb 12 2009 8:20PM DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-2979.2008.00315.x; Fish & Fisheries
Madeira, 2-6 February 2009
The second FishPopTrace Consortium Meeting will be held from Tuesday 3rd February 2009, until 5th February in Funchal, Madeira. Consortium members will review progress made since the onset of FishPopTrace as well as discussing strategies to attain the next set of deliverables and milestones. Emphasis will be placed on the FishPopTrace sampling scheme and database, as well as forensic tool development, and engagement with industry and stakeholders. We are pleased to welcome Guest Participants from three organisations: the Pew Environment Group, Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).
European Commission Press Release MEMO/08/802
Brussels, 17 December 2008
The Agriculture & Fisheries Council will meet in Brussels on Thursday 18 (starting at 4 pm) and Friday 19 December, under the Presidency of Michel Barnier, French Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries. Commissioners Joe Borg (Fisheries and Maritime Affairs), Mariann Fischer-Boel (Agriculture and Rural Development) and Androulla Vassiliou (Health) will represent the Commission at the meeting.
The main item on this Council agenda will be the fishing opportunities for 2009 (TACs and quotas).
The points on the agenda are:
TACs and quotas 2009
Every year at this time the Council is invited, on the basis of a proposal from the Commission, to set Total Allowable Catches (TACs), quotas and permitted levels of fishing activity for the main commercial stocks in EU waters of the North-East Atlantic for the coming year. The current proposal does not include TACs and quotas for the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea or for deep sea stocks, which have been established by Council already earlier this autumn.
The Commission's proposal of 10 November (IP/08/1669) is based on the latest advice from the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) and the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and guided by the general principles laid down in its annual Policy Statement issued in May, in particular:
greater flexibility in changing TACs from year to year, to enable both more effective recovery measures for overexploited stocks, and greater benefit for fishermen when stocks do recover; and
shift to a kilowatt-day system for managing fishing effort, which will be both easier to control and more flexible to implement.
The abundance of North Sea cod has recently benefited from the good 2005 intake of young fish, allowing an increase in TAC to be proposed in agreement with Norway. Stocks of both northern and southern hake both continue to grow, demonstrating the benefits of long-term planning. However, a number of other stocks, such as herring, are in many areas in an extremely poor condition. The Commission has responded to the zero catch advice from scientists by proposing cuts of at least 25%. For anchovy and sandeel in the North Sea, which are both short-lived species, the Commission is again proposing that final TACs should be set once in-year advice is received on the stocks in the late spring. Until then, the fishery for anchovy must remain closed.
Cod stocks and associated fisheries
Levels of cod stocks are still very low in most areas. The Commission has proposed improvements to its recovery plan and, following that new plan, is proposing 25% reductions in both quotas and fishing activity on those stocks. The proposal also introduces a system of effort limitations for cod fisheries measured by kilowatt-day ceilings instead of the 'days-at-sea' system applied in 2008.
In the area west of Scotland, the stocks of cod, haddock and whiting are overfished and catches have fallen steeply over the last ten years. The Commission proposes to give a “breathing space” to these stocks so they can rebuild. This means stopping targeted fishing of these species and bringing in new kinds of fishing gear that let these fish escape while enabling fishermen to continue catching the prawns and anglerfish that are the most valuable parts of the fishery.
An intake of young fish in the North Sea has led ICES to forecast an increase in spawning stock in its latest advice. However, the recent high level of young cod taken as bycatch and discarded in this fishery remains a major problem. The recently revised recovery plan allows greater flexibility in adjustments to fishing activity, while encouraging more selective fishing methods. For the North Sea stock, the EU agreed last week with Norway to a 30% increase in TAC, accompanied by a ban on high grading (the practice of discarding legally caught but less valuable fish in order to increase the final value of the total catch), incentives for more selective gear, and a commitment to work towards eliminating discards as part of the 2012 Reform of the CFP.
Herring
A further substantial reduction in North Sea herring quotas is needed in order to prevent the further decline of stock. For the West Scotland stock, a new long-term plan should be agreed under which a TAC reduction of only 20% would apply.
North Sea sole
The North Sea sole stock is managed under a long-term management plan, which this year allows a 7% increase in the quotas.
Spurdog and porbeagle
The recent scientific advice on these stocks of deep sea sharks confirms their extremely poor biological condition, so the Commission proposes a zero catch.
Skates and Rays
The Commission proposes to bring skates and rays in the Celtic Sea, the West of Scotland, the Bay of Biscay and off Spain and Portugal under TAC management, and to prohibit the retention of the most depleted species in this group on board fishing vessels.
Blue ling
Following the scientific advice and consultation with stakeholders, the Commission proposes measures to protect blue ling spawning aggregations through the introduction of two protection zones in the area west of Scotland.
Short-lived species
In-year management systems will be applied again for short-lived species such as anchovy in the Bay of Biscay and sandeel, Norway pout and sprat in the North Sea. In the case of anchovy, the fishery will remain closed, subject to revision when data on spring abundance of the stock becomes available.
Any Other Business
'A' points
Following discussions in CoRePer, the following point is now on the agenda for adoption as an 'A' point.
Multi-annual plan for the management of herring fisheries to the West of Scotland
The plan, proposed by the Commission in May this year (IP/08/707), is intended to ensure the sustainability of the West of Scotland herring fishery and prevent any sudden increase in fishing pressure which could jeopardise its future. Though the fishing rate is currently at roughly the level scientists recommend, there are worries about the numbers of young fish joining the stock which is slightly overfished. Under the plan, Total Allowable Catches (TACs) will be set in such as way as to achieve a high and sustainable yield in line with scientific advice. The target fishing mortality rate (measure of catches) is set at 0.25 when the size of the spawning stock is greater than 75 000 tonnes, and 0.2 when it is between 75 000 tonnes and 50 000 tonnes. Should the stock fall below the 50 000 tonne level, the fishery would be closed, until it recovers.
The plan includes a graduated approach to reducing fishing pressure which is in line with the flexibility recently introduced in the revised cod recovery plan. Year-on-year variations in TAC will be limited to a maximum of 15% as long as the stock is in good condition (i.e. above the 75 000 tonne level). Special fishing permits will be required for vessels fishing on the stock, and these vessels will not be allowed to fish both inside and outside the West of Scotland area on the same fishing trip unless they transmit their catch reports daily to the fisheries authorities in their flag state. The plan will be subject to review at least every four years.
Revised cod recovery plan
In November, Council reached political agreement on the amendment of the cod recovery plan which has been in place since 2005 (IP/08/493). Recent advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) concludes that the previous measures were inadequate to reduce fishing pressure on cod to the point where the stock could recover. Of the four cod stocks concerned, only North Sea cod has shown some limited signs of recovery to date. The main changes under the new revised plan include new objectives based on limiting the amount of fish removed from the sea by fishing rather than on targeting defined amounts of cod in the stock concerned, simplification of the fishing effort management system and a more flexible approach in adapting the rate of fishing pressure reduction to different stages of recovery. There are also specific mechanisms to encourage the reduction of discards and the application of cod-avoidance programmes.
The revised plan is based on the collective experience of managers and stakeholders with implementing the plan over the last three years, and will come into force from 1 January 2009.
The scientific journal “Fish & Fisheries” published a special issue on “Advances in Marine Fish and Fisheries Genetics”, a noteworthy event as concepts and technology development in molecular genetics are currently changing and progressing very swiftly.
This is probably best illustrated by the recent impressive advancement in DNA sequencing technologies: While the first human genome sequence, completed in 2004, was generated over several years for US $300 million using several hundred capillary sequencers, in 2008 two individual human genomes were sequenced in weeks, at a fraction of the cost of the initial human reference genome.
Even scientists find it at times difficult to follow this rush in molecular biology RTD, and for other stakeholders such as fisheries managers or regulators it is yet harder to stay informed about the significance and value these developments can add to their fields.
This collection of five reviews and three short communications, to which also members of the FishPopTrace consortium contributed, provide a valuable and up to date overview on the application of molecular genetics to marine fishes covering diverse areas such as paradigm shifts in fish biology, population genetics and adaptation, functional genomics, genotype-phenotype correlations and long-term temporal changes in wild fish populations. Also provided is a discussion on the impact of the fast progress in molecular technology on genetics in the area of fisheries biology.
Directly related to fisheries management are articles discussing the application of genetic data, and fisheries forensics.
The special issue of Fish & Fisheries can be found on http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/117970776/home
Brussels; 14/11/2008
After a period of intensive counselling and consultation of many stakeholders1 as well as calling on expert advice (see also “Workshop on the use of Advanced Technologies for Fisheries Control”) the European Commission has proposed a new Council Regulation recasting the EU fisheries control system. The result would be a completely modernized system for inspection, monitoring, control, surveillance and enforcement of Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) rules throughout the market chain, from catch to the retailer. Harmonised inspection procedures and higher standards would ensure uniform implementation of control policy at national level, while taking account of the diversity and specific characteristics of different fleets. There will be measures to promote a culture of compliance throughout the sector, including simplification of the regulatory framework, and the introduction of harmonised deterrent sanctions. The capacity of the Commission to intervene to ensure that the rules of the CFP are being effectively implemented and enforced by the Member States will also be strengthened. In general, all aspects of the control and monitoring of fisheries activities would be simplified and made more efficient by the new rules.
The proposal refers in Article 13 specifically to "New Technologies" and "Genetics" as methods to support traceability and MCS in the Fisheries sector.
The proposal and additional information can be found on:
http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/cfp/control_enforcement/reform_control_en.htm
[1] In February 2008 the European Commission launched a consultation procedure on Consultation on the initiatives proposed by the Commission to modernise and reform the control system of the Common Fisheries Policy (http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/cfp/governance/consultations/consultation_280208_en.htm).
The FishPopTrace consortium submitted an opinion which can be found along with the contributions of other stakeholders on:
http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/cfp/governance/consultations/consultation_280208_contributions_en.htm
Brussels; 17/06/08
Recent reports by the Court of Auditors and the European Commission revealed major shortcomings of the control and enforcement system of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). It was in particular emphasized that the current inspection systems cannot guarantee efficient prevention or detection of infringements, and that general control standards are lacking. The inefficiency of the existing controls and enforcement schemes is paralleled by a culture of non-compliance and a high level of infringements in the fisheries sector putting the entire CFP in question, and posing an imminent threat to the future of fisheries resources, the fishing industry and marine ecosystems.
In response to these shortcomings the European Commission will come forward with a proposal for a Council Regulation to modernise and reform the control system of the CFP by autumn 2008. This proposal should ultimately ideally support a global approach to ensure the effective application of fisheries measures. The new control regime should cover all the steps from the vessel to the consumer. It must help spread a culture of compliance among all operators and deter those prepared to operate illegally as their individual actions undermine the sustainability of fisheries. It should also be simpler, more uniform and cost effective than the current one.
For the preparation of this proposal, the European Commission seeks an open dialogue with a wide range of stakeholders and the interdisciplinary workshop on advanced technologies for traceability and MCS in the fisheries sector formed an integral and fundamental part of this exercise.
While it is generally recognized that advanced technologies (ATs) could provide valuable support to an improved fisheries control scheme as defined above, it is currently unclear how such techniques emanating from RTD could be transferred into efficient applications for traceability, control and enforcement purposes.
This workshop, organised jointly by the European Commission DG MARE and DG Joint Research Centre (JRC), brought together policy makers with internationally renowned experts of various research fields, and experts in forensics, fisheries inspection and law enforcement, in order to discuss the potential of advanced technologies and to embark on the development of appropriate strategies to transfer such technologies into fisheries control schemes. To optimally benefit from this exceptional range of expertise available during the workshop, an open discussion forum was built, maximal room for dialogue provided, and emphasis put on mutual exchange of experience, ideas and suggestions.
Coincidentally the workshop was paralleled by the announcement of the Bluefin tuna (BFT) fishery closure1 , inasmuch a noteworthy event, as Bluefin tuna is certainly belonging to the key species, with regards to burning issues such as overexploitation and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and further stressing the pertinence of this meeting.
[1] Statement from Commissioner Borg: "Closing the Bluefin tuna fishery in order to secure its future"; European Commission DG COMM RAPID Press Release; IP/08/961; Brussels, 17/06/08.
Brussels; 02/05/08
The European Commission intends to come forward with a proposal to modernise and reform the control system of the Common Fisheries Policy. This will consist of a Communication and a proposal for a Council Regulation. To assess the effectiveness of the envisaged measures and the impact on operators and administrations, an impact assessment will be carried out. As part of this exercise the Directorate-General for Fisheries and Maritime affairs of the European Commission is lunched a broad stakeholder consultation. Interested parties were invited to express their views on the nine fields of action identified in the consultation paper, as well as to present their opinions as to what further measures would be appropriate to strengthen the control system of the Common Fisheries Policy.
More information can be found on:
http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/cfp/governance/consultations/consultation_280208_en.htm
The FishPopTrace document can be found and downloaded together with contributions of other stakeholders on:
http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/cfp/governance/consultations/consultation_280208_contributions_en.htm
Palermo; April 2008
The meeting was taking place in the meeting room facilities of the Splendid Hotel, which is situated in the Bay of Mondello, next to Palermo. All consortium partners, except a representative of partner 13 (Spanish National Foundation of Fish and Seafood Processors - ANFACO-CECOPESCA), who was unable to attend the meeting, were present. We were pleased to welcome Ms. Petra Laniol as a representative of the European Commission (DG Mare A.4 – Control Policy) who was attending the meeting sessions.
After the welcome and introductory speech of Prof. Carvalho, Ms. Laniol provided a report on the mission and needs of DG Mare in the area of Fisheries Control and Traceability, outlining possible support which could be delivered by FPT. The first day of the meeting each partner introduced shortly his/her institution, and institutional expertise, which was followed by presentations and discussion of each WP during the rest of the meeting as outlined in the meeting schedule (see below).
The FishPopTrace kick-off meeting schedule:
Monday 21 April
- 09.30-11.00: Steering Committee Meeting
- 10.30-11.00: Arrival and registration at workshop desk
- 11.00-11.45: Coffee
- 11.45-13.00: SESSION 1 Chair - Gary Carvalho
- 11.45-12.30: Gary Carvalho
- 12.30-13.00: Welcome, workshop objectives, FishPopTrace Introductory comments
Partner Introductions:- (5 minutes each-= max 3 slides/partner)
- Partner 1: BU
- Partner 2: DIFRES-DTU
- Partner 3: UNIPD
- Partner 4: UCM
- Partner 5: K.U.LEUVEN
- Partner 6: UNIBO
- 13.00-14.30: Lunch
- 14.30-16.00: SESSION 2 Chair - Einar Nielsen
- 14.30-15.30: José Bautista
- 15.30-16.00: Partner Introductions (continued)
- Partner 7: UiB
- Partner 8: EC-DG-JRC
- Partner 9: UNI-HB
- Partner 10: WDNAS
- Partner 11: IFREMER
- Partner 12: NAGREF
- Partner 13: ANFACO
- Partner 14: AU
- Partner 15: VNIRO
- Consultant: Robin Waples
- 16.00-16.30: Tea
- 16.30-18.00: SESSION 3 Chair - Tomaso Patarnello
- 16.30-17.30: José Bautista/Jann Martinsohn/Delphine Ortega - WP1: Database Integration and WP 8: FishPopTrace DataBase
- 17.30-17.45: Gary Carvalho - Day 1 Concluding Remarks
Tuesday 22 April
- 09.30-13.00: SESSION 4 Chair - Jann Martinsohn
- 09.30-11.00: Fausto Tinti - WP 2 Sampling: what do we have, what do we need and when?
- 11.00-11.45: Coffee
- 11.45-13.00: WP 3/5 SNP discovery and genotyping (Filip Volckaert/Christian Bendixen)
- 13.00-14.30: Lunch
- 14.30-16.00: SESSION 5 Chair - José Bautista
- 14.30-16.00: WP 3/5: Otolith microchemistry and morphometrics (Filip Volckaert/Audrey Geffen)
- 16.00-16.30: Tea
- 16.30-18.00: SESSION 6 Chair - Fausto Tinti
- 16.30-17.00: Rob Ogden - WP 4: Validation Protocols
- 17.00-17.10: Einar Nielsen - WP 6: Monitoring long-term change
- 17.10 17.45: Robin Waples - 6.1 Monitoring Population Change
- 17.45-18.00: Gary Carvalho - Day 2: Concluding Remarks
Wednesday 23 April
- 09.30-11.00: SESSION 7 Chair- Robin Waples
- 09.30-10.00: Tomaso Patarnello - WP 7 Novel Tools
- 10.00-10.15: Jann Martinsohn - WP 9: Technology Transfer
- 10.15-11.00: Gary Carvalho - WP10/11- Management and Dissemination
- 11.00-11.45: Coffee
- 11.45-13.00: SESSION 8 General Consortium Issues Chair - Gary Carvalho
- Contacts- scientificand administrative
- Consortium deadlines for the 1st year
- Progress Reports
- Finances
- Recruitment
- Future meetings/venues/dates
- Consortium Publications
- Consortium logo
- Other?
- 13.00-14.30: Lunch
- 14.30-16.00: SESSION 9: Open Session/concluding remarks/ close of workshop Chair - Gary Carvalho
- 16.00-16.30: Tea
- 16.30-18.00: Steering Committee and Work Package Leaders