IN BRIEF - Skipper Fined €14,000 for Illegal Fishing Off Donegal
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
A German-registered, Spanish-based fishing vessel’s skipper, Ángel Ares Esteban, has been fined €14,000 for illegal fishing activities in waters off Donegal.
The case, heard at Donegal Circuit Court by Judge John Aylmer, revealed that Esteban had violated EU regulations limiting fishing gear soak times to 72 hours. This restriction, mandated under Regulation (EU) 1241/2019, SI 520/2019, and Section 14 of the Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006, is crucial for minimizing potential environmental impacts.
Esteban was absent from court proceedings but faced charges for exceeding the legally permitted soak time—the duration nets are left in the water—while fishing for monkfish and whitefish. The vessel, F/V 'Pesorsa Dos', a 27-meter-long boat employing static tangle nets, had its soak times significantly surpass the 72-hour limit.
Officers from the Irish Naval Service, aboard the LÉ William Butler Yeats, carried out a routine inspection on July 16, 2020, and discovered the violations. Following detections of non-compliance, the Pesorsa Dos was escorted to Killybegs and detained for further investigation.
A sea fisheries officer based in Killybegs testified that the vessel had deployed approximately 2,000 tangle nets, which can each span up to 10 kilometers in length. The total combined length of nets on board exceeded 100 kilometers, with five of these nets forming the basis of the prosecution.
Spanish ports broke records for general cargo and containers
In broad terms, the annual balance of the Spanish port system in 2025 is nothing to celebrate. The volume of cargo handled in the 46 state-owned ports of general interest, managed by 28 port authorities, is slightly lower than in 2024. The 556.6 million tons that passed through these terminals last year represent a 0.2% drop compared to the previous year, in which 557.7 million tons were recorded. Fewer merchant ships also arrived at these ports: 162,865 vessels, representing a 2.2% decrease.
Source: La Voz de Galicia | Read the full article here
In 2025, the Mediterranean Sea reached water temperatures in some areas up to 6.5°C above the average recorded between 1982 and 2015, with an average of 190 days of marine heatwaves across the Mediterranean. This data is compiled in the “Annual Report 2025: Global Warming Impacts in the Mediterranean Sea and Balearic Islands Region” by the Balearic Islands Coastal Observing System (SOCIB).
“Climate change brought new records in 2025 in terms of ocean temperatures, salinity, and sea level in the Mediterranean,” says Mélanie Juza, a scientist at SOCIB and author of the report.
Source: iPac.aquacultura | Read the full article here
UK retailers enjoyed rapid growth in sales of certified sustainable seafood last year (2024-25) thanks in large part to almost two thirds (63%) of wild caught fish and seafood products now carrying the Marine StewardshipCouncil(MSC) ecolabel. There are now almost 1,000 (948) MSC labelled products sold under supermarkets’ own brands.
The £1.7bn consumers spent on 189,000 tonnes of MSC labelled products represents a 14% increase on the previous year, according to the MSC UK and Ireland Market Report which is published today.
BioMar outlines steady outlook for 2026 following solid year.
Schouw & Co., the owner of BioMar Group, has published preliminary unaudited figures showing that BioMar recorded revenue of DKK 16.5 billion ($2.64 billion, €2.15 billion) in 2025, within its guidance range of DKK 16.3 to 16.7 billion. EBITDA for the year reached DKK 1,517 million ($243 million, €197 million), also in line with guidance of DKK 1,490 to 1,530 million.
The annual reports for both Schouw & Co. and BioMar are scheduled for release on 5 March 2026.
Source: SalmonBusiness | Read the full article here
Ghana has strengthened strategic cooperation with China to address an estimated annual fish supply deficit valued at up to US$800 million.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MoFAD), led by Minister Emelia Arthur, said the partnership will boost fisheries and aquaculture development to enhance food security, job creation and sustainable blue economy growth.
The engagement took place in Beijing during talks between Madam Arthur and Han Jun, Secretary of the Communist Party of China’s Leadership Group, alongside officials of China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Ghana presented a comprehensive Ghana–China Fisheries Partnership Framework aimed at building a resilient, investment-ready sector while protecting aquatic ecosystems.
Madam Arthur noted that Ghana’s annual fish demand is about 1.28 million metric tonnes, against domestic production of roughly 684,000 tonnes, creating a deficit
Kitgum — Eighty-five percent of fish farmers in Kitgum District have abandoned aquaculture after soaring feed prices and prolonged dry spells rendered the venture unprofitable, officials say.
District Fisheries Officer Alfred Omony told Uganda Radio Network that the rising cost of commercial fish feed has forced many farmers to stop stocking and managing ponds. Although over 80 fish farmers are registered in the district, only 15 remain active.
A kilogramme of quality fish feed now costs about Shs4,500, while lower-grade feed sells at Shs3,500 but results in slow growth and stunted fish. Sarah Aber, who started fish farming in May 2025, said manufactured feed—mostly imported—accounts for up to 70 percent of production costs, with a 20kg bag selling at Shs80,000.
Veteran farmer Sisto Okwera blamed erratic weather for worsening losses, noting that ponds dry up during peak dry months, forcing costly water pumping or seasonal shutdowns. He urged government support to lower feed costs and build farmers’ capacity to produce feed locally.
Although the district has acquired two feed pellet-making machines, farmers lack training to mix nutritionally adequate feed.
The decline in local production has pushed up fish prices in Kitgum, with tilapia and catfish now selling at Shs15,000–20,000 per kilogramme, largely sourced from outside the district. A December 2025 district report called for farmer grouping, climate mitigation measures, and skills training to revive the sector.
As recurrent droughts erode the reliability of rain-fed agriculture in Zimbabwe, small-scale farmers are increasingly turning to aquaculture as a climate-resilient alternative. In the eastern district of Chimanimani, fishponds are emerging as a dependable source of food and income.
Years of erratic rainfall and rising temperatures have made traditional crop farming increasingly unpredictable across rural Zimbabwe. In response, farmers like Olinda Tuso are diversifying their livelihoods. Behind her home in Chimanimani, Tuso manages a modest 10-by-10-metre fishpond that now supports her household nutrition and generates income.
Although Chimanimani is known for its mountainous terrain, even its low-lying areas have suffered repeated droughts over the past five years. Tuso began fish farming in October 2023 with 1,000 tilapia fingerlings. Despite losses to predators, she harvested 800
The former Minister of Labor will assume leadership of SalmonChile in March, focusing on sustainability.
The board of directors of SalmonChile, the trade association that brings together producers and suppliers of Chilean salmon farming, elected Patricio Melero Abaroa as its new president this afternoon. Melero is an agricultural engineer with extensive public service experience and broad expertise in regulatory matters related to the aquaculture sector.
Melero will assume his duties on March 1st. He is an agricultural engineer from the University of Chile and has a distinguished career in the public sector. He served as a deputy for two districts in the Metropolitan Region between 1990 and 2021, as president of the Chamber of Deputies during the 2011-2012 term
The Galician Socialist MEP, Nicolás González Casares, stated that the PSdeG-PSOE will remain vigilant to ensure that the interests of the Galician canning sector are guaranteed in the free trade agreement negotiations between the European Commission and Thailand.
Casares conveyed this message after receiving the European Commission's response to his parliamentary question regarding the need to protect the Galician and European canning sector within the framework of these negotiations, given that Thailand is the world's leading producer of canned tuna.
Source: Industrias Pesqueras | Read the full article here
UK retailers enjoyed rapid growth in sales of certified sustainable seafood last year in the past year, says the Marine Stewardship Council.
MSC says there are now almost 1,000 MSC labelled fish products sold under supermarkets’ own brands.
The £1.7bn consumers spent on 189,000 tonnes of MSC labelled products represents a 14% increase on the previous year.The primary driver behind this growth is the doubling of MSC certified skipjack tuna products available on shelves in the last year, a continuation of the upward trend that’s seen sales of canned and jarred MSC labelled tuna soar from £24.3m in 2020 – 2021 to £269.1m in 2024-25.
Author: Vince McDonagh / Fish Farmer | Read the full article here
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REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
SPAIN
Spanish ports broke records for general cargo and containers
WORLDWIDE
In 2025, the Mediterranean Sea reached water temperatures in some areas up to 6.5°C above the average recorded between 1982 and 2015, with an average of 190 days of marine heatwaves across the Mediterranean. This data is compiled in the “Annual Report 2025: Global Warming Impacts in the Mediterranean Sea and Balearic Islands Region” by the Balearic Islands Coastal Observing System (SOCIB).
UNITED KINGDOM
UK retailers enjoyed rapid growth in sales of certified sustainable seafood last year (2024-25) thanks in large part to almost two thirds (63%) of wild caught fish and seafood products now carrying the 
DENMARK.png)
BioMar
GHANA.png)
The engagement took place in Beijing during talks between Madam Arthur and Han Jun, Secretary of the Communist Party of China’s Leadership Group, alongside officials of China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Ghana presented a comprehensive Ghana–China Fisheries Partnership Framework aimed at building a resilient, investment-ready sector while protecting aquatic ecosystems.
UGANDA
ZIMBABWE
CHILE
The former Minister of Labor will assume leadership of 
EUROPEAN UNION
The Galician Socialist MEP, Nicolás González Casares, stated that the PSdeG-PSOE will remain vigilant to ensure that the interests of the Galician canning sector are guaranteed in the free trade agreement negotiations between the European Commission and Thailand.
UK retailers enjoyed rapid growth in sales of certified sustainable seafood last year in the past year, says the Marine Stewardship Council.
