IN BRIEF - Spanish Sardine Fishing Ends with Highest Catch in Recent Years
SPAIN
Monday, December 04, 2023
The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food has announced the closure of the sardine fishing campaign, effective from 00:00, Friday 01 December 2023, for the purse seine fleet in the Gulf of Cadiz and the Northwest Cantabrian fleets using highly selective sardine-directed gear, such as “racú” and “piobardeira.” The campaign concludes with a final quota of 22,582 tonnes, the highest in recent years.
Utilising, for the first time, an optimisation mechanism, the fleet was allowed to fish until the last authorised day. The Xeito fleet can continue fishing against its quota until exhaustion, following the provisions of Order APM/605/2018, of June 1, which establishes a management and recovery plan for sardines in the Iberian waters (8c and 9a) of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.
The entire sardine-dedicated fleet successfully completed the authorised fishing period, thanks to the optimisation mechanism implemented since October 15. This mechanism maximised efficiency in quota utilisation by distributing the remaining unconsumed quotas to the entire fleet.[...]
Tilapia prices experienced a sharp increase in October, driven by reduced domestic supply and a significant surge in exports.
Researchers at Cepea attribute the constrained supply primarily to a shortage of fingerlings for restocking and milder-than-expected temperatures this year, both contributing to lower production volumes.
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The impact was immediate in Paraná:
Northern Paraná saw the average price hit R$ 9.19/kg (approximately $1.73/kg using the October average exchange rate of $0.1888967 per R$), an increase of 7.79% from September.
Despite substantial rainfall, Southwest China's Guizhou province faces a chronic surface water scarcity due to its unique karst limestone landscape. The soluble bedrock causes rain to rapidly seep into underground rivers and caves, severely impacting rural areas.
Photo: CHINA DAILY
To combat this, authorities are prioritizing large-scale water conservation projects, focusing on both infrastructure and ecological restoration to enhance both the environment and local livelihoods.
In Cuiwei village, Longli county, a small watershed soil conservation project is turning rocky liabilities into assets. The project tackles issues like soil erosion, which previously washed valuable soil into rivers, causing siltation and pollution downstream.
According to Chen Yingxuan, a staff member at the Longli county water resources bureau, the county launched an eco-friendly, integrated soil conservation project in 2022. This comprehensive approach manages, maintains, and utilizes the mountains to catch and conserve every precious drop of water.
Wärtsilä is set to significantly expand its main spare parts distribution centre in Kampen, the Netherlands, by 40%. This strategic move, which includes consolidating nearby leased facilities, directly supports the solid growth of Wärtsilä's global service business.
The expansion is a response to the service business's growing demand, with order intake surging by 68% between 2020 and 2024. By increasing capacity, Wärtsilä aims to accelerate global deliveries, reduce order-to-delivery time, and enhance logistics efficiency for its marine and energy customers.
“The expansion... enables us to accelerate global deliveries, enhance our services to customers, and improve logistics efficiency,”said Stefan Wiik, Vice President, Parts and Fields Service, emphasizing the role of services in the decarbonization of the marine and energy sectors.
Wärtsilä will invest €14 million in the project, with construction starting in early 2026 and commissioning scheduled for 2027.
The Kampen facility, established in 2009, operates 24/7/365 as Wärtsilä's primary global parts hub. It is also a key part of the company's sustainability efforts, already achieving a 67% reduction in plastic use since 2022 and utilizing fossil-free HVO100 fuel for domestic transport, cutting $\text{CO}_2$ emissions by 90%.
Spain and China have strengthened their agri-food collaboration with the signing of three new protocols that benefit the aquaculture and fisheries sector, as well as the pork sector. This took place during the State Visit of the King and Queen of Spain to the People's Republic of China.
According to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, these agreements "consolidate mutual health confidence and expand export opportunities for the Spanish agri-food sector."
Two of the three signed protocols affect the aquaculture and fisheries sector in Spain.
Source: iPac.aquacultura | Read the full article here
Presents its new corporate image in Cádiz, marking a new era
Conxemar, the Spanish Association of Wholesalers, Importers, Exporters, and Processors of Fishery and Aquaculture Products, has undergone a transformation. More so on the outside than the inside, as it will remain the same "modern, open, and global organization"—in the words of its president, Eloy García—that it was until recently. But as of Wednesday, it has a new brand image. And this renewal represents a turning point. Not only for Conxemar, but "for the entire seafood value chain in Spain and Europe," as Isabel Artime, Secretary General of Fisheries, stated. For the organization headed by García, this marks the beginning of a new phase
Source: La Voz de Galicia | Read the full article here
Waitrose counters across the United Kingdom are now selling ASC-certified fresh fish, marking a significant step forward in making responsibly farmed seafood easier for customers to identify and purchase.
Waitroseis the first UK retailer to offer Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certified responsibly farmed seafood through its fresh fish counters. The launch further strengthens Waitrose’s longstanding commitment to sourcing seafood responsibly. The new ASC-certified counters feature oysters, sea bass, sea bream, king prawns and tiger prawns, giving customers a wider range of seafood that meets ASC’s environmental and social standards.
Source: The Fish Site | Read the full article here
Horizon Europe project NECCTON, for which Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) is project managing, was presented at the high-level RISE FR-UK (Research and Innovation Excellence in Science for Europe: France-UK) event at the Royal Society in London.
Hosted by the French Ambassador, this event identified and highlighted outstanding European projects where Franco-British co-operations play a central role.NECCTON stands as a flagship example of how Franco-British collaboration continues to drive Europe’s leadership in ocean science and operational capability.
The Scottish Seaweed Industry Association (SSIA) conference opened yesterday with the news that the organisation is to change its name – to Seaweed Scotland.
SSIA CEO Rhianna Rees said in her opening address that it had been a challenging year for the seaweed industry in Scotland. Many producers had been forced to spend money to diversify and the supply chain was bedevilled by the difficulty in creating processing facilities at a time when production volume is still quite limited.Rees also confirmed that the SSIA is set to change its name to “Seaweed Scotland”
The change of name parallels that of the salmon industry trade body, which rebranded a few years ago from the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation to Salmon Scotland.
Author: Robert Outram / Fish Farmer | Read the full article here
A modern fish processing plant, built under the investment quota program by the Gidrostroy group of companies, has successfully concluded its first full year of operation on Shikotan Island.
Located in the village of Krabozavodskoye, the facility (operated by Kurilsky Rybak CJSC) was completed last year with a total investment of 750 million rubles for construction and equipment. The project has already created sixty new jobs.
During its first year, the plant fulfilled its investment quota by processing over 26,000 tons of raw materials, resulting in more than 14,000 tons of products. Key output included 2,700 tons of pollock fillets and over 5,000 tons of fishmeal.
The year-round production line can process up to 200 tons of raw materials daily, specializing in species like pollock, cod, flounder, and herring. Waste materials are efficiently used to produce fishmeal and fish oil.
Tory hopes SNP will be spurred into action by monarch's removal of royal trade mark from Mowi
A Conservative MSP who is a distant relative of King Charles has said he hopes the monarch’s decision to remove the Royal Warrant from salmon farmer Mowi Scotland will spur the Scottish Government “into action” to protect wild salmon from damage allegedly caused by the industry.
Alexander Burnett’s family has owned the Leys estate on Deeside since the 14th century, and the estate’s business includes salmon fishing on the Dee.
Author: Gareth Moore / fishfarmingexpert | Read the full article here
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Utilising, for the first time, an optimisation mechanism, the fleet was allowed to fish until the last authorised day. The Xeito fleet can continue fishing against its quota until exhaustion, following the provisions of Order APM/605/2018, of June 1, which establishes a management and recovery plan for sardines in the Iberian waters (8c and 9a) of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.
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CHINA
NETHERLANDS
Spain and China have strengthened their agri-food collaboration with the signing of three new protocols that benefit the aquaculture and fisheries sector, as well as the pork sector. This took place during the State Visit of the King and Queen of Spain to the People's Republic of China..png)
UNITED KINGDOM
Waitrose counters across the United Kingdom are now selling 
Horizon Europe project NECCTON, for which Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) is project managing, was presented at the high-level RISE FR-UK (Research and Innovation Excellence in Science for Europe: France-UK) event at the Royal Society in London.
The Scottish Seaweed Industry Association (SSIA) conference opened yesterday with the news that the organisation is to change its name – to Seaweed Scotland.
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Tory hopes SNP will be spurred into action by monarch's removal of royal trade mark from
