AKVA group has taken over construction of Årdal Aqua’s post-smolt facility in Årdal, Norway, following Billund Aquaculture’s bankruptcy.

When complete, the Årdal facility will consist of four post-smolt modules, each with a capacity of 1,500 metric tons. AKVA confirmed it expects to finish construction in June 2025.

AKVA said it recruited former Billund employees who had been working on the project and that it will also contribute additional resources “to ensure the successful completion of the facility.”

Author: Cliff White / SeafoodSource | Read the full article here

It has been a hectic week (week 35) on the Norwegian mackerel fishing grounds with great activity northwest of Ålesund, reports Norwegian pelagic group, Norges Sildesalgslag.

A a total of 38,186 tonnes of mackerel were caught, where Sunday was the biggest day with 10,773 tonnes distributed among over 70 vessels.

In the corresponding week 35 in 2023, there was 19,205 tonnes caught. The fleet has gathered around 80 miles north-west of Ålesund and there is a lot of activity in the area.

Source: FishFocus | Read the full article here

The Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Angola on the facilitation of sustainable investments has entered into force, the first EU agreement of its kind and whose objective is to encourage foreign investments necessary to achieve the sustainable development goals. According to the European Commission, the Agreement will create a more transparent, efficient and predictable business environment for investors in Angola and will promote sustainable investment in this country by EU companies.

Source: IndustriasPesqueras | Read the full article here

The Lenin Fishing Collective Farm (Kamchatka Krai) is investing about 14.5 billion rubles in the construction of two refrigerated vessels and 3.28 billion rubles in two fish processing plants as part of the "keel quotas" program. The enterprise signed a cooperation agreement with the Far East and Arctic Development Corporation (FEDC) on the sidelines of the EEF-2024.

Following the two stages of the investment quota program, the collective farm intends to build 14 vessels of different classes, thus completely renewing the fishing fleet. One of them is the large freezer trawler Viktor Gavrilov (under construction at the Yantar Shipyard), which will be launched in November 2024 and arrive in Kamchatka in early 2026.

“The Lenin Fishing Kolkhoz is a pioneer of the investment quota program: the enterprise was the first to sign a contract for the construction of vessels under investment quotas and the first to receive a new vessel built in modern Russia. By its example, the enterprise has shown that the program works, and works effectively,” noted Ilya Shestakov during his working visit to Kamchatka.

Source: Federal Agency for Fisheries

Since midnight on September 3, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has reopened directed fishing for bigeye tuna for the 246 Spanish vessels that had been banned from fishing since July 19 due to having exhausted the part of the national quota that had been assigned to them. Among them, there are several based in Galician ports.

They have the option of catching Thunnus obesus again because the ministry has applied what it calls an optimization mechanism, through which it recovers the kilos of this species that other fleets do not usually catch.

On this occasion, 1.82 million kilos of the 8.33 that the Spanish fleet can catch in the Atlantic this year have been allocated to the common pool.

Source: LaVozdeGalicia

Europêche insists that the fishing sector is the most affected by the environmental conditions in the Baltic, which have led the European Commission to propose further cuts in fishing opportunities by 2025. “To truly address the crisis, we must focus on the underlying environmental problems affecting the Baltic Sea ecosystem, rather than focusing exclusively on the fishing sector.”

This is the message launched by the European fishing association Europêche after the publication of the proposal for TACs and quotas for the Baltic Sea for 2025, recently launched by the European Commission and to be discussed by the Fisheries Ministers of the Member States next month.

Europêche insists that the fishing sector is the most affected by the environmental conditions in the Baltic, which have led the European Commission to propose further cuts in fishing opportunities by 2025, anticipating the cuts applied in recent years and placing the sector in a delicate situation. “The outlook for 2025 is bleak,” says the organisation. Europêche stresses that the “difficult situation” of the Baltic Sea is not due to overfishing, but to the difficult environmental conditions and natural factors of the sea itself, and calls on the Commission to take effective measures, in addition to focusing exclusively on fishing.

Source: EuropaAzul

The NSW Government has committed to working with industry to double the farm gate value of the NSW aquaculture sector to $300 million by 2030 with the release of the NSW Aquaculture Vision Statement.

The new statement outlines an overarching approach to the development of the State’s aquaculture industries which includes research, investment in breeding programs and a commitment to water quality improvements.

The statement came as more than 300 state, interstate and international delegates attended the national Oyster Industry Conference in Port Macquarie.

The Vision Statement is a joint industry and government initiative built on a shared approach to seafood production, developing bioproducts and climate change adaptation.

“The Government is investing in research infrastructure and collaborative activities to drive industry growth, the sustainable development of our natural resources, and to support innovation so that industry can manage the risks and take advantage of opportunities for the coming decades,” said minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty.

Source: foodmag

The annual scientific conference ICES ASC 2024 will be held from 9 to 12 September in Gateshead, UK.

The conference brings together researchers and experts from around the world to discuss a range of topics in marine research and sustainability.

The themes include biodiversity, management of marine ecosystems and new technologies such as artificial intelligence in research. There will be 18 thematic sessions focusing on different aspects of the marine environment.

Knowledge exchange and networking

The conference is an important platform for knowledge exchange and networking, especially for young researchers, who get the opportunity to participate in workshops and presentations. These activities give them a unique chance to present their research and get valuable feedback from established experts in the field.

Gateshead, where the conference takes place, is close to Newcastle and is known for its cultural and historical attractions.

The aim of the conference is to create a platform for interdisciplinary dialogue and cooperation across borders to promote a better understanding of marine environments and ensure their sustainability for the future.

Source: fiskeritidende

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has come under fire following the publication of a report in Nature titled “Is Tuna Ecolabeling Causing Fishers More Harm Than Good?” by Katrina Nakamura of Sustainability Incubator.

The report highlights significant shortcomings in the MSC’s procedures for addressing forced labour and other labour abuses within certified fisheries.

Source: TheFishingDaily | Read the full article here