As China’s global fishing net widens, artisanal fishermen off the coast of Ghana see their catches plummet and go to bed hungry

The wooden canoe is painted with scriptures. They’re meant to bring good fortune to the craft’s fishermen and protect against the dangers of the Atlantic – sky-high ocean waves, creatures of the deep and, increasingly, industrial Chinese trawlers.

“Colleagues have drowned when their canoes have capsized in the wake of trawlers. But the Chinese don’t care,” says Samuel Otoo, one of the canoe’s two crewmen.

Photo: Simon Townsley/The Telegraph

In the early hours of the morning, before the heat begins to press, the fishermen set off from Jamestown, a small port outside Ghana’s capital, Accra. They return at 3pm in one piece, having encountered several trawlers, but the fishermen fear their days in the business are numbered.

This is because the Chinese vessels, far superior in size and capability than the artisanal fishermen of Ghana, are not only causing capsizes and deliberately destroying the nets of rival boats – they’re also bleeding the ocean dry of its fish.

Author/Source: Torbjörn Wester / The Telegraph

Tokyo, (Jiji Press)--A Japanese government annual report on Friday underlined the importance of strengthening food security for fishery products amid growing risks triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The fishery industry white paper noted the risk of Japan's stable supplies of fishery products being jeopardized due to soaring import prices of such goods and related production materials in the wake of recent developments in international society.

Japan's imports of fishery products from the top five countries accounted for over 50 pct of its overall imports of such goods in 2021, the report said, pointing out that the high dependence on a few specific nations is a challenge for Japan.

Russia was the third-largest exporter of fishery products to Japan in 2021, before the start of the aggression of Ukraine in February 2022.

Among fishery products consumed in Japan, some 40 pct of cod roe and salmon roe, and about 30 pct of sea urchin were from Russia.

Gillnets are set to be completely banned from the Great Barrier Reef by mid-2027, the federal and Queensland governments have jointly announced.

The fishing practice has been identified as a significant danger to multiple threatened and protected marine species, including dugongs, dolphins, turtles and some sharks.

The state and federal governments announced more than $160 million in funding to reduce high-risk fishing activities around the Great Barrier Reef, including net fishing.

There are about 240 gillnet licenses on the east coast, with about half of those in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

"The removal of gillnets in net-free zones on the reef has already helped boost local fish populations," federal environment minister Tanya Plibersek said in a statement.

Author/Source: Kelsie Iorio / ABC News

Money-laundering experts warns Commons committee about a lack of transparency over ownership of fishing licences and quotas.

The lack of transparency about who owns or controls commercial fishing licences, quota and vessels in Canada makes them attractive targets for criminals looking to launder money.

Money-laundering expert Peter German. PHOTO BY NICK PROCAYLO

German stressed his expertise lies in scrutinizing money laundering, organized crime and corruption, not fisheries policy.

However, he noted the lack of transparency and the federal government’s marginal understanding of who owns or controls West Coast fishing licences and quota are red flags that have been raised at the committee repeatedly.

Additionally, in B.C. there are no apparent conditions on ownership of licences or quota, which control access to Canadian fisheries, German said.

Author/Source: Rochelle Baker / VancouverSun

As of Monday 5 June 2023, the minimum price for mackerel for fresh use is NOK 18.00 per kg

With effect from and including Monday 5 June 2023, the following minimum price applies for mackerel for fresh use: NOK 18.00 per kg.

A minimum price for mackerel for fresh use therefore applies, regardless of whether the fisherman himself has delivered the mackerel to the buyer's facility or the mackerel has been collected by the buyer at lock. ATTENTION! It is primarily mackerel that is larger than 300 g per piece that is desirable for the fresh market. The fishermen are therefore encouraged to fish at this size and thus contribute to the best possible value creation from this fishery.

Author/Source: Roar Bjånesøy / Norges Sildesalgslag (translated from original in norwegian)

Jostein Leiro, Norwegian ambassador to Chile, is clear that the future of aquaculture has sustainability as its main axis.

There is no other way to project an industry, such as salmon, because consumers and authorities currently demand it. And that is the clarity that both countries are working on in their productive sectors.

In an interview with Salmonexpert, Leiro stated that the cooperation between Chile and Norway in the aquaculture sector has a long history, “that is natural, because we are the first two exporters of salmon worldwide.

Source: Salmon Expert | Read the full article here

The Government of Seychelles is committed to amending its Fisheries Law to introduce the mandatory installation of electronic monitoring systems (EMS) on board large-scale fishing vessels, with the aim of increasing control requirements and guarantees of compliance with industrial fleets. This was explained in a meeting with the NGO The Nature Conservancy (TNC) with the Minister of Fisheries and Blue Economy, Jean-Francois Ferrari, the Minister of Agriculture, Climate Change and the Environment, Flavien Joubert, and the interim executive director of the Seychelles Fisheries Authority (SFA), Philippe Michaud, echoed by the national news agency.

Source: IndustriasPesqueras | Read the full article here

Mowi has dramatically cut back on investment worth at least NOK 5bn (£367m), citing the new “salmon tax” which was approved by the Norwegian parliament last week.

The company broke the news to the newspaper and  media  outlet vg.no,  saying it planned to call a halt to significant investment in its post-smolt strategy in Norway.

Mowi CEO Ivan Vindheim told vg.no that the company would stop the building of seven facilities along the entire coast.

Author: Vince McDonagh / FishFarmer | read the full article here

Less than two weeks after Canadian harvesters and processors finally ended their fight over snow crab prices in Newfoundland and Labrador, prices for the crustacean are inching up.

The minimum price paid to crabbers in Newfoundland and Labrador rose to CAD 2.25 (USD 1.67, EUR 1.56) per pound, up from the CAD 2.20 (USD 1.63, EUR 1.52) per pound members of the Fish Food and Allied Workers union (FFAW) initially went on strike to protest before finally agreeing to a deal with the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP).

Author: Chris Chase / SeafoodSource | read the full article here

Nearly £1 million of rod licence income has been invested to improve fisheries across the country in the last year, the Environment Agency announced today (1 June), with 220 projects delivering benefits to anglers and supporting sustainable fish stocks.

Projects supported with £925,000 through the Fisheries Improvement Programme (FIP) include creating habitat for coarse fish and trout, and improving angling access facilities so that more people are able to enjoy the sport.

Source: FishFocus | read the full article here