The Chief Envoy of the European Union (EU) to Cambodia yesterday announced a new round of financial support for Cambodia to help the Kingdom’s government reform its fisheries sector.

The announcement was made by EU Ambassador Igor Driesmans while paying a courtesy call to Dith Tina, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF).

According to the Ambassador, the EU will release around $7 million in grants to the Ministry of Economic and Finance (MEF) to support key areas of the fisheries reform, such as monitoring, control, and surveillance; flooded forest protection; conservation of marine fisheries; transfer of grants to community fisheries; research; and food safety.

Cambodia’s economy and food security are significantly influenced by the fishing industry. Fish consumption was 52.4 kg/capita in 2021, and the fishing sector contributed 7-8% of the country’s GDP.

Launched in 2019 as the most important programme ever for the European Union to support the fisheries sector in a partner country and in Cambodia, the CAPFISH Programme (EUR 112 million) was implemented by the Fisheries Administration attached to the MAFF, supporting all pillars of the current national strategy in fisheries until 2025.[....]

Source: Taing Rinith / Khmer Times (translated from the original in English)

Research on digitalization has begun in Yamaguchi Prefecture's puffer (Tetraodontiformes) longline fishery to make fishing site selection more efficient.

The system automatically captures the temperature of the ocean floor where puffer fish are most commonly found, and displays it on a smartphone chart overlaid with the catch record, which can be used as a basis for deciding where to set the next line. The aim is to reduce costs and shorten operation time by leveraging the experience of fishermen and further exploring the correlation between environmental data and catches.

The research is being carried out under the "Smart Fisheries Social Implementation Promotion Project'' commissioned by Yamaguchi Prefecture, and is led by Associate Professor Hirofumi Matsumoto of the Fisheries College of the Fisheries Research and Education Organization.

Even if surface water temperatures and current speeds of the ocean are available, water temperatures and currents differ at depths of 100 meters or deeper, where puffers live. It was not possible to determine in which temperate zone they were most abundant, and as a result, the selection of fishing grounds was largely based on the experience and intuition of fishermen.[....]

Source: The Suizan-Keizai Daily News (translated from original in japanese)

Kaohsiung (CNA) A majority of Taiwan's long-distance saury fishing vessels have switched to using light emitting diodes (LEDs) to conduct saury fishery in the Pacificfor environmental reasons, the Kaohsiung City Government's Marine Bureau said Tuesday.

The methods for which fishermen catch squid or saury are similar, hence many boats venture out to sea twice a year to catch these two types of fish, the bureau said.

Citing an example, it said boats travel to the Southwest Atlantic to fish for squid in the first half of the year, return and then venture out again to fish for saury in the North Pacific in the following months.

The fishing for saury happens at night, with artificial light playing an important role in attracting the fish to nets.

In the past, fishermen often used incandescent light bulbs or high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps to get their catch, but these types of lighting tend to consume a lot of energy, the bureau said.[...]

Source: focustaiwan.tw

The Mauritanian Ministry of Fisheries announced the closure of sardinella fishing for shipowners operating in coastal and offshore segments due to alarming stock assessments.

A measure which may be lifted by the Mauritanian Institute of Oceanographic and Fisheries Research depending on the progress observed.

It is following evaluations by the Mauritanian Institute of Oceanographic and Fisheries Research (Imrop) having established abundance indices in continuous decline and reported an increase in sardinella mortality through fishing, that the Mauritanian Ministry of Fisheries has decided to close access to this resource.[...]

Source: Mélanie Chartier / Le Marin (translated from original in french)

President Ken Ikemi "One step toward a virtuous cycle in 2024, top management speaks''

On the 4th, Maruha Nichiro President Ken Ikemi held a year-end press conference at the company's headquarters in Tokyo, where he spoke of the need for "resilient'' business operations in a rapidly changing environment. 

"We will work on providing market-oriented products, ROIC (return on invested capital) management, and promoting innovation", Ikemi said. Responding to the decline in marine resources was a major issue.[....]

Source: Minato Yamaguchi (translated from original in japanese)

In response to the comprehensive joint advice submitted by the North Western Waters Advisory Council (NWWAC), North Sea Advisory Council (NSAC), and Market Advisory Council (MAC) on brown crab (Cancer pagurus), Charlina Vitcheva, the Director-General of DG MARE in the European Commission, expressed gratitude for the valuable insights provided.

The letter, dated 22 September 2023, highlighted various aspects of brown crab fisheries, covering research, threats to stock status, management, supply chain, and market issues.

Source: TheFishingDaily | Read the full article here

Eight years after the last review, the Government has updated in the Council of Ministers the regulation that sets the scales for the establishment of compensatory aid for the temporary cessation of the activity of the fishing fleet, with financing from the European Maritime Fisheries Fund and Aquaculture (FEMPA). With the new fund already active, the Government considers that “an update” was necessary, given the time that has passed and the changes experienced in the economic environment.

Source: Industrias Pesqueras | Read the full article here

Australian tech billionaire Anthony Hall has amassed a significant stake in troubled yellowtail kingfish producer Clean Seas Seafood.

Hall, co-founder of medical imaging business Pro Medicus, now owns just over 11.5% of Clean Seas’ equity.

Clean Seas sells its kingfish through two brands: Spencer Gulf Kingfish for professional cooks/foodservice, and South Australian Yellowtail for consumers to cook at home.

Source: FishFarmer | read the full article here

A senior researcher at China’s Ministry of Agriculture recently gave an upbeat assessment on the country’s seafood import market, signaling that although the nation remains a powerhouse in domestic seafood production, it will maintain its newfound status as a net importer for the foreseeable future.

“The potential for seafood imports will be fully unleashed soon,” Xie Zhongmin, the deputy head of research at the Agriculture Trade Promotion Center within the ministry, said. Xie said a “structural gap” in supply and demand, as well as lower tariffs, is driving China’s demand for imported seafood.

Author: Mark Godfrey / SeafoodSource | read the full article here