IN BRIEF - International forum agrees to increased quota for large Pacific bluefin tuna
JAPAN
Monday, December 11, 2023
An international commission managing fisheries in the western and central Pacific Ocean has decided to increase the annual quota for large bluefin tuna next season.
The agreement was reached at an annual meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission. The meeting was held in the Cook Islands from last Monday through Saturday.
The commission discussed how to manage the regional stocks of high-end bluefin tuna, which is a popular sushi topping.
Japan's Fisheries Agency says the meeting unanimously agreed to special measures for next season proposed by Japan and other member nations.
The agreement called for expanding the quota for large bluefin weighing 30 kilograms or more, while decreasing that for smaller fish weighing less than 30 kilograms.
The agency says that with the agreement, it now plans to increase the quota for the government-managed off-shore bluefin catch, using round haul nets and drift nets, by more than 400 tons from this season to 4,820 tons next season.
The agency plans to formally decide on the figure as early as next week. This will be the first increase in two years.
The agency also plans to propose at the next year's meeting to regularly expand the quotas on the grounds that bluefin stocks in the region have been recovering.
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.
HALIFAX — Fishers raised questions today about how federal enforcement officers will cope if a proposal to increase the number of people licensed to net baby eels in the Maritimes goes ahead next year.
The concerns emerged during a meeting held by the federal Fisheries Department at which current licence holders heatedly suggested the federal minister hadn't thought through the proposed changes.
The Fisheries Department is proposing to redistribute about 28 per cent of the allowable catch of 9,960 kilograms from nine commercial licence holders -- creating about 150 new commercial licence holders -- and providing half of the total catch to First Nations fishers.
Under the proposed pilot project allocation, the federal department is offering licences to 120 fishers currently employed by commercial licence holders, representing 27 per cent of the overall quota. A further 1.5 per cent would be allocated to licences offered to 30 fishers who currently catch adult eels.
Federal fisheries officials said under the pilot project the goal would be to have the "one licence holder per river approach," on the roughly 123 rivers where elvers are fished.
According to Flor Emilia Guerra Mena, head of the Secretariat, these resources will be used through cooperatives focused on shrimp fishing, highlighting that these funds must be invested in increasing productivity.
For his part, the governor of Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha, emphasized the importance of an adequate use of these funds. He said that "they will have to be deposited in the administrative bodies of each cooperative," ensuring that this resource is completely auditable.
In addition, Flor Emilia Guerra Mena indicated that the scheme for the distribution of resources has already been prepared, which will impact 158 ??Economic Units of Sustainable Aquaculture Production (UEPAS) or fishing cooperatives throughout Sinaloa. The official pointed out that these cooperatives are at the forefront of requests for this support due to the debts acquired from the purchase of inputs for shrimp capture.
The resource consists of support for fishing productivity that will be auditable, so they recommended applying it correctly.
On the other hand, the objective of these resources is to positively affect the entire state, benefiting thousands of fishermen and ensuring that shrimp fishing productivity improves significantly. State support aims to ensure that cooperatives that are suffering from the inability to capture or grow their operations have an economic tool to settle their debts.
Low shrimp production paralyzes the Mazatlan fishing fleet; insufficient catches do not cover costs, affecting the economy of the sector
MAZATLÁN.- The low shrimp production recorded in the first fishing trip of the season has led many boats in the Mazatlan fishing fleet to decide not to return to the high seas, since the income does not cover the high operating costs.
Eduardo Aréchiga, skipper of a boat, said that after 45 days of work they only managed to catch 4 tons of shrimp, an insufficient amount to cover the expenses of the trip, such as fuel, food and maintenance.
Jesús Omar Lizárraga Manjarrez, president of the Union of Shipowners of the Pacific Coast, described this season as one of the worst in recent years, with catches 60% lower compared to 2023.
Of the nearly 500 vessels that make up the Mazatlán fleet, only about 190 participated in the first trip, and many will no longer be able to continue.
Lizarraga Manjarrez explained that poor catches have forced fishermen to extend their trips from 30 to 45 days, working only during the most favorable tides, although the results are still insufficient.
The fishing sector faces major economic challenges that could further affect the industry and the communities that depend on this activity for their livelihood.
The vessel, which is now considered the most advanced vessel in the Uruguayan and regional fishing fleet, was officially presented to the national and port authorities of Uruguay, the country under whose flag it operates.
Originally built in 1987 at the Skála shipyards in the Faroe Islands, this vessel, 60.3 meters long and 13.4 meters wide, has a processing capacity of up to 120 tons of fish per day. Throughout its history, it has operated under various names, including Dorado, Polonus, Tunu, Akraberg, Beinir and Skalafjall. In the past, it was also part of the Deutsche Fischfang Union (DFFU) fleet.
As with the Río Solís II, Belnova once again relied on the Nodosa shipyard to carry out a comprehensive transformation of this 1,200 gross ton vessel. The ship is equipped with a 3,000 horsepower engine and has a cargo hold with a capacity for 500 net tons of cargo.
Captain Manuel Barros, of Belnova, highlighted that the Río Solís IV represents a milestone in the local fishing industry, being “the most modern vessel in the Uruguayan fleet and in the region.” For his part, Albano González Domínguez, CEO of Belnova, underlined the magnitude of the project: “It has not been a simple tune-up, but a total reconversion.”
In November 2024, South Korea imported 5,699 tons of seafood from Norway, representing a 7% increase compared to 5,337 tons in the same period in 2023.
However, the cumulative imports from January to November 2024 fell by 5% to 60,556 tons, down from 63,870 tons in the previous year. Norwegian seafood accounted for approximately 7% of the total seafood imports of 814,815 tons.
Import Volumes by Product
Click on the image to enlarge
The import value of Norwegian seafood in November 2024 reached USD 42.79 million, up 6% from USD 40.46 million in the same month of 2023. However, the cumulative import value decreased by 4%, totaling USD 479.91 million compared to USD 500.81 million in the previous year. The average import price rose slightly to USD 7.93/kg, a 1% increase from USD 7.84/kg in 2023.
Benchmark Genetics Salten has announced a change in its general management with the recent appointment of Pablo Mazo as general manager of the company. Mazo, who had already held the position on an interim basis, has an outstanding track record in the aquaculture industry in both Chile and Norway, which reinforces his ability to lead the company's upcoming challenges.
Pablo Mazo is a fisheries engineer from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso and holds a master's degree in aquaculture from the Norwegian University of Environmental and Life Sciences (NMBU).
Throughout his career, he has held leadership positions in renowned Chilean companies such as Ventisqueros and AquaChile
Navantia is applying the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio in the new Coastal Hydrographic Vessel project that it is building for the Spanish Navy. The Siemens Xcelerator industrial software portfolio covers the life cycle of a vessel: from concept, design and simulation, through the production and commissioning phase, to operation and service. The contract includes the construction of two units of this design.
Siemens technology includes the most advanced digital tools, such as NX™ design software; Teamcenter® software for product life cycle management; Simcenter™ software for the simulation and optimization of systems and vessels; and the Tecnomatix® portfolio for the simulation of processes and shipyards.
Source: Industrias Pesqueras l Read the full article here
The third edition of Aquafuture Spain, which will be held from May 20 to 22, 2025 at the Ifevi exhibition centre in Vigo, Galicia, has achieved a significant milestone by reaching the figure of 200 exhibitors from 27 countries, exceeding initial expectation, organisers said.
The number of exhibitors is 33% higher than at the first two editions, an objective that organisers set when in 2023 they decided to move the venue from Santiago de Compostela to Vigo and turn it into a biennial event.
Source: fishfarmingexpert l Read the full article here
Recognising that aquaculture is becoming increasingly vital for food security, employment and economic development in the Mediterranean and Black Sea region and that the sector has experienced strong growth in recent years, the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations (FAO) has outlined a shared vision for the delivery of a sustainable industry.
Representatives from over 30 countries recently gathered in Heraklion, Greece, for the largest regional aquaculture conference in the region. Titled “Shaping the future of aquaculture in the Mediterranean and Black Sea Region”
Ayelén dreams of an all-female shrimping crew Argentina
Ayelén Lecumbarry, who comes from a long line of fishermen in Rawson, Chubut, is the one behind this innovative proposal
Ayelén has submitted a study she designed herself to obtain the ...
Healthy Fish Stocks Drive Increased Fishing Quotas for 2025 Denmark
Danish fisheries are set for a promising 2025, with increased quotas for several key fish stocks in the North Sea and Skagerrak. This positive outlook follows the signing of four pivotal fisheries agr...
Soaring Shrimp Demand in Southern Europe, stable in other regions Viet Nam
As of November 15, 2024, Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the EU reached over $422 million, marking a 16% increase compared to the same period last year.
The EU market has shown consistent demand for ...
Copyright 1995 - 2024 Seafood Media Group Ltd.| All Rights Reserved. DISCLAIMER