IN BRIEF - Javier Garat Re-elected to the European Economic and Social Committee Until 2030
EUROPEAN UNION
Friday, September 19, 2025
Javier Garat, secretary-general of the Spanish Fisheries Confederation (CEPESCA) and president of Europêche, has been re-elected as a member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) for the 2025-2030 term
Madrid – His re-election makes him one of the 21 Spanish members of the body and ensures the fishing sector's representation in the EU.
Garat’s continued role on the EESC coincides with his appointment as rapporteur for a key opinion on the regulation that will govern EU aid for the Common Fisheries Policy. This new position strengthens his influence in Brussels at a critical time for the sector, which faces challenges like fleet decarbonization and the revision of the Common Fisheries Policy.
His re-election recognizes his active participation in the previous term (2020-2025), during which he served as rapporteur for more than 30 opinions, including those on fleet decarbonization and the protection of marine ecosystems.
Garat highlighted that fishing is a complex activity, but that initiatives like the European Ocean Pact and the 2040 Vision for fishing offer a chance to reorient policies and recognize the sector's strategic role in food security and the blue economy.
Port Stanley (Puerto Argentino) – The Falkland Islands Government Fisheries Department has announced the early closure of the second Loligo squid fishing season, a conservation measure that takes effect today, Friday, September 19, at 23:59. The season had been scheduled to end on September 29.
The decision was made after the 95% confidence interval of the estimated biomass levels approached the critical threshold established by the Department for stock conservation. Authorities are seeking to ensure the sustainability of the marine resource and protect population levels for the next season.
The Fisheries Department thanked the fishing industry for its close collaboration during the season, highlighting the joint effort to guarantee the long-term viability of one of the archipelago's most valuable fisheries.
It wasn't meant to be. The season had started cautiously, with well-founded fears of an abrupt closure due to low biomass levels and the small size of the squid. But the situation improved day by day, and the fishing fleet continued operations. Between apprehension and a confidence more based on necessity than on data. But it's over: the Loligo squid fishery in the Falkland Islands waters will close at midnight tonight, confirmed to FARO by sources within the industry.
The same sources estimate that, in the little over a month that the vessels have been fishing, they have caught barely 18,000 tons, a meager haul.
Author: Lara Graña / Faro de Vigo | Read the full article here
The Valencia Convention Center will host the ‘Aquaculture Europe 2025’ (AE2025) conference from September 22 to 25. The event will take place under the slogan “Aquaculture for all,” at a time when aquaculture has surpassed capture fisheries as the main producer of fish, thus confirming its essential role in the global food supply.
With approximately 800 scientific presentations and 200 exhibiting companies, the event organizers expect to attract some 3,000 participants who will spend more than 2 million euros in the city, according to the organizers. The event is organized by the European Aquaculture Society (EAS), and others
Source: iPac.aquaculture | Read the full article here
In 2024,Nauterra, the global food company specializing in canned fish products with leading brands such as Calvo, successfully reintroduced 53,282 tons of tuna and sardine waste into the production cycle, giving it a second life as by-products and advancing its goals of reducing food waste and maximizing resource utilization. This waste, which would otherwise have been discarded, was used primarily to produce fishmeal and oil for animal feed, fertilizers, and the chemical and cosmetic industries. Thanks to this commitment, in 2024, the company's packaging and finished product plants in Spain and Brazil renewed their "Zero Waste" certification.
Source: Fishing Industry | Read the full article here
In late August, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an import alert on frozen breaded shrimp from Indonesia due to the presence of radioactive isotope Cesium-137 (Cs-137).
That alert has since wreaked havoc on some U.S. importers, processors, and retailers.
The FDA issued the alert after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) identified Cs-137 in shipping containers at multiple U.S. ports.
The shipments in question were stopped from entering the U.S., and a subsequent investigation found evidence of Cs-137 in just one shipment of breaded shrimp.
Author: Christine Blank / SeafoodSource | Read the full article here
Huon Aquaculture CEO criticises Tasmanian salmon review as “gossip-driven”.
Huon Aquaculture’s new chief executive Charles von der Heyde has questioned the Tasmanian government’s decision to review the salmon industry, describing the move as the result of “misinformation” and “gossip” about disease levels, according to reporting from ABC.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff announced the review and a moratorium on marine expansion in August, following claims that rickettsia bacterial disease had spread more widely during winter and after the industry sought approval to use the antibiotic Florfenicol.
Source: SalmonBusiness | Read the full article here
FALKLAND ISLANDS (Malvinas) — A new study has developed an innovative model to forecast the abundance of Argentine shortfin squid (Illex argentinus) in the Falkland Islands region, highlighting how environmental variability drives key fluctuations in this vital resource. Led by Dr. Tobias Buring and Dr. Alastair M. Baylis, the research combined extensive oceanographic data with advanced modeling techniques to predict seasonal shifts.
The study, published in the journal Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, found that temperature and zooplankton are the primary factors determining squid abundance, although variations in sea surface height and ocean eddies also play an influential role. “By linking squid density directly to specific oceanographic variables, our model improves the prediction accuracy of seasonal shifts, offering fisheries a more dynamic tool,” said Dr. Buring.
Argentine shortfin squid are central to both regional economies and the marine food chain. By forecasting their abundance, fisheries managers can plan quotas, adapt to environmental change, and strengthen long-term sustainability. The project, supported by Atlantic Catch Ltd. and the Falkland Islands Fisheries Department, now aims to validate the model with in-situ observations to extend its forecasting capabilities under future climate change scenarios.
The company Camanchaca is preparing a lawsuit against the Chilean government due to the effects of the recently approved Fisheries Quota Redistribution Law, which redistributes fishing quotas in favor of the artisanal sector at the expense of the industrial sector. The company warns of "substantial harm" to the industrial fishing industry and also questions the outcome of the government's negotiations regarding salmon tariffs in the United States.
Ricardo García, CEO of Camanchaca, stated in an interview with Pulso-La Tercera that the legislation will result in estimated annual losses of between US$8 million and US$10 million, using the jack mackerel fishery in the central-southern region as an example.
Source: MundoAcuicola | Read the full article here
The latest report from the French Biodiversity Agency (OFB) warns about the fragility of marine biodiversity and highlights projects in ports, aquaculture, and protected areas that are paving the way toward sustainable use of the sea.
It all starts with the ocean. A source of life, a climate regulator, a major carbon sink, and an oxygen producer, the sea sustains biodiversity and is the cornerstone of the blue economy. However, the state of marine ecosystems is alarming. In France, only 6% of marine habitats and 5% of species are in a favorable condition, according to data from the French Biodiversity Agency (OFB).
The conservation NGO Sea Shepherd has resumed its Dolphin Bycatch Spain campaign and returned to Galician waters, where last March its activists filmed two trawlers releasing nearly twenty dolphins back into the sea after they had been caught unintentionally. Those images, which the organization posted on social media, led to a controversial complaint filed by the Civil Guard against a fishing boat captain from Ribeira.
The return of the Walrus—Sea Shepherd's vessel—has also been controversial. Again, they posted a video on social media alleging harassment by a Galician trawler
Source: La Voz de Galicia | Read the full article here
Walcan Seafood Acquitted on All Fisheries Act Charges Canada
A court in Campbell River found inconsistencies in the evidence from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, leading the Crown to request the dismissal of the case against the Quadra Island seafood company.
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EUROPEAN UNION
Madrid – His re-election makes him one of the 21 Spanish members of the body and ensures the fishing sector's representation in the EU.
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The decision was made after the 95% confidence interval of the estimated biomass levels approached the critical threshold established by the Department for stock conservation. Authorities are seeking to ensure the sustainability of the marine resource and protect population levels for the next season.
It wasn't meant to be. The season had started cautiously, with well-founded fears of an abrupt closure due to low biomass levels and the small size of the squid. But the situation improved day by day, and the fishing fleet continued operations. Between apprehension and a confidence more based on necessity than on data. But it's over: the Loligo squid fishery in the Falkland Islands waters will close at midnight tonight, confirmed to FARO by sources within the industry.
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