MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Fisheries News

Headlines: Super squid surfaces in Antarctic; Common name; Spain reveals fleet renovation rules; Fisheries policy reform meeting held in Canary Islands; Russia plans return to Latin American waters; Squid fishers challenge government; Red tide levels drop in south Chile; Funds for fleet modernisation in Brazil; Trawler ban in the Mediterranean; Gibraltar's blackspot seabream gets quality label; E U approves changes to decommissioning funds...more.

Super squid surfaces in Antarctic

A colossal squid has been caught in Antarctic waters, the first example of Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni retrieved virtually intact from the surface of the ocean. "All we knew prior to this specimen coming through was that this animal lived in the abyssal environment down in Antarctica," New Zealand squid expert and senior research fellow at Auckland University of Technology, Dr Steve O'Shea, told BBC News Online. "Now we know that it is moving right though the water column, right up to the very surface and it grows to a spectacular size." Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni was first identified in 1925 after two arms were recovered from a sperm whale's stomach. There have only ever been six specimens of this squid recovered: five have come from the stomachs of sperm whales and the sixth was caught in a trawl net at a depth of 2,000 to 2,200 metres. "It's been known since 1925, but no one really paid any attention to it," Dr O'Shea said. "Now we can say that it attains a size larger than the giant squid. Giant squid is no longer the largest squid that's out there. We've got something that's even larger, and not just larger but an order of magnitude meaner." This squid has one of the largest beaks known of any squid and also has unique swivelling hooks on the clubs at the ends of its tentacles. This combination allows it to attack fish as large as the Patagonian toothfish and probably to also attempt to maul sperm whales. "When this animal was alive, it really has to be one of the most frightening predators out there. It's without parallel in the oceans," Dr O'Shea said. The specimen, which was caught in the past few weeks in the Ross Sea, has a mantle length of 2.5 metres. That is a larger mantle than any giant squid that Dr O'Shea has seen and this specimen is still immature, the NZ scientist believes. "It's only half to two-thirds grown, so it grows up to four metres in mantle length." By comparison, the mantle of the giant squid, Architeuthis dux, is not known to attain more than 2.25 metres.

Common name

The squid researchers are calling Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni the "colossal squid". "We'd like to give this animal the name colossal squid in order to have a common name for it as opposed to just the scientific name," said Kat Bolstad, research associate at Auckland University of Technology. "We feel that colossal conveys both the size and the aggressiveness of the animal. "This animal, armed as it is with the hooks and the beak that it has, not only is colossal in size but is going to be a phenomenal predator and something you are not going to want to meet in the water". (BBC)

Spain reveals fleet renovation rules

Spanish Fisheries Minister Miguel Arias Cañete met fisheries councillors from the autonomous communities to explain in detail the requirements for fleet renovation, vessel modernisation, and adjustment of fishing effort, in accordance with the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) reform. The March 31 meeting gave the minister an opportunity to set out the contents of the bill for a Royal Decree that will permit changes in local legislation to comply with new EU structural policy rules resulting from changes to the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG). Mr. Arias Ccañete said the decree would include rules relating to coastal fishing subsidies, the formation of joint ventures, the fishing vessel register, and financial aid for experimental fishing projects in foreign waters. The new regulations also include the conditions for accessing socio-economic support and compensation in the case of a temporary halt to fishing activity. Regarding fleet renovation, the minister said the regulations will specify the tonnage and power requirements for new builds as well as the application process for obtaining funding and permission for their construction. Within the socio-economic measures contemplated Mr. Arias Cañete said early retirement payments and payment of individual, one-off grants were under consideration. Professional qualifications for the sector also came under discussion during the meeting and the minister said advances in the industry meant carrying out periodic reappraisals of relevant qualifications. (FIS/MP).

Fisheries policy reform meeting held in Canary Islands

Spain's Fisheries Secretary Carmen Fraga opened a round of meetings this week with fisheries officials from the autonomous communities to analyse the impact of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) reform on the sector. The meetings held in the Canary Islands will review the new regulations announced at the sector conference held earlier, according to El Día. Ms. Fraga told Canary Islands fisheries officials Pedro Rodríguez Zaragoza and Manuel Fajardo Feo that she was interested in hearing the views of each of the Autonomous Communities on the enforcement of the CFP reform, mainly in relation to their fleets. At the same time, during the meeting with Ms. Fraga, Canary Islands officials expressed their interest in the progress of the agreement signed between the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Canary Islands government to promote diversification in the fishery sector affected by the termination of the fishing agreement with Morocco. Carmen Fraga plans to hold further meetings during the next six months. The goal, she said, was to analyse the future management of the country's fisheries and the new structural policy rules resulting from the amendment to the Financial instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG), approved during the EU Council of Fisheries Ministers held in December 2002. (FIS/MP).-

Russia plans return to Latin American waters

In the next two or three years, Russia intends to return its fishing fleet to the economic waters of the countries of Latin America. The State Fisheries Committee (Goskomrybolovstvo) press service has told Interfax that the committee is engaged in intensive negotiations with fishing business organisations in the region. There have, for instance, been talks with Nicaragua on the resumption of cooperation in the fishing industry. The sources noted that "in 2002, the committee took the first steps toward resuming cooperation with the countries of Latin America and implementing Russia's ocean doctrine in matters concerning the return of the Russian fishing fleet to the world's oceans. With Nicaragua Russia signed a memorandum of mutual understanding. It was decided to hold a session of the Russian-Nicaraguan fishing committee three months from the signing date for discussion of practical issues. The committee will start working on a draft of a new framework agreement between the two countries. This new cooperation agreement will be based on the old one, but taking into account changes in both countries' economies and the state of fish and other species stocks in Nicaraguan waters. Plans call for the two parties to work together on issues involved in doing scientific research on the species off the Nicaraguan coast, working on the joint technical harvesting and technological processing of fish, and also joint fishing in Nicaragua's waters using Russian vessels. Goskomrybolovstvo sources noted that 15-20 years ago Russia was catching on the high seas and in other countries' EEZs up to 5 million tonnes of fish and other seafood species, almost 50% of Russia's total catch. Last year, according to preliminary reports Russia harvested less than 900,000 tonnes of fish outside its own waters. (FIS/MP)

Squid fishers challenge government

Red tide levels drop in south Chile

Magallanes Region health authorities have confirmed a sharp drop in red tide levels in the Puerto Edén and Isla Carlos areas of southern Chile. However the ban on shellfish gathering would remain in force for the time being. According to the latest report from the Chilean Health Service environmental laboratory, the analysis of 10 samples taken on March 18 revealed levels ranging from 67 to 536 micrograms of PSP (paralytic shellfish poison). In previous tests, the levels were 130 to 13,261 micrograms. The maximum permitted level for human consumption is 80 micrograms per 100 grams of seafood meat. If red tide levels continue to drop, the Health Service says it may reopen fishing in Puerto Edén. This are has been closed for all harvesting, transport, storage, sales and consumption of seafood that is prone to PSP contamination, reports La Prensa Austral. During the next few days, the local authorities expect to receive the results from the latest tests on samples obtained through the Red Tide Programme. In the meantime, they have stressed the importance of testing the safety of seafood before it can be eaten and reminded the public to consume only molluscs that have been harvested in authorised areas. (FIS/MP).-

Funds for fleet modernisation in Brazil

Brazilian Fisheries Secretary José Fritsch announced that the equivalent of nine million US dollars will be set aside in the first phase of the construction of oceanic fishing vessels. The government's objective is to upgrade the national fleet and to gradually replace foreign chartered vessels, Mr. Fritsch told sector representatives and members of the Legislative Assembly. The final budget is yet to be decided but will represent around 8-10% of the Merchant Navy National Fund estimated in 90 million US dollars annual resources. The use of these funds was approved by president Luiz Ignácio Lula da Silva and by the Ministry of Transport. Brazilian vessel owners welcomed the measure, which responds to their calls for action to upgrade the national fishing fleet. With a steady release of cash from the Merchant Navy fund over a four year period, "in ten years' the national fishing fleet should be modernised and vessels would be equipped with refrigerated holds," said Fritsch. The new vessels will be equipped with the latest technology. They will be able to locate shoals with satellite detectors and remain at sea for 45 days without having to return to port, he added. (FIS/MP).

Trawler ban in the Mediterranean

A two month trawling ban is underway to reduce fishing effort in the Mediterranean. The ban, part of the Andalusia Trawl Fishing Plan, runs from April through May 31 and is additional to another ban off the Almería and Motril coast. The Spanish Institute of Oceanography recommended the ban for April and May to coincide with the spawning cycle of hake, red mullet and octopus, which are the Mediterranean fleet's main resources. In the Almería and Motril area, the ban aims to protect juveniles, reports Andalucía 24 Horas. Fishing Companies Association chairman José María Gallar said that more than 75 trawlers from the Almería fleet, which mainly target shellfish and whitefish, have already stopped fishing. The ban affects 400 fishermen who will receive financial support according to vessel tonnage. The Trawl Fishing Plan was designed by the Agriculture Department at the request of Andalusia's fishing sector, in a bid to prevent over-fishing along the Mediterranean coast. Although initially it was only going to be applied during 2001 and 2002, the authorities decided to extend the plan for another year, as there were still signs of excessive fishing effort. Besides the temporary bans, the Plan includes several measures designed to contribute to the recovery of stocks. The fleet is not allowed to fish more than 200 days a year, and they must stop during weekends - except in Málaga where there is a 60 hour break from Friday evening until Monday morning. Fishing trips cannot be longer than 12 hours from a vessel's departure to its return to port. (FIS/MP).

Gibraltar's blackspot seabream gets quality label

The Andalusian blackspot seabream (Pagellus bogaraveo) fleet is to benefit from a new marketing device - a quality label showing the origin of the fish. The "Blackspot seabream from Tarifa" label for Straits of Gibraltar catches distinguishes them from catches made elsewhere and not only testifies to the quality of the fish but also shows that it comes from a coastal fishery, reports Europa Sur. The launch of the quality seal, registered and approved by the Andalusian Government, will be accompanied by strict quality controls and a campaign to raise the profile of the coastal fishing sector, as well promoting Gibraltar blackspot seabream to consumers. The fleet's 100 vessels operating from Tarifa and Algeciras, which recently resumed fishing after two and a half months, will have to land their catches in approved plastic boxes, bearing the Andalusian Government logo. According to the authorities, the new containers will maintain the quality of the catches on board, as each one holds only 20-25 kg of fish. Jorge Campos, general secretary of the Andalusian Federation of Fishermen's Unions, said a new grading machine would soon be available for automatically sorting catches into four sizes. These improvements are part of the Blackspot Seabream Fishing Plan, which came into force on January 2003 and includes a reduction in the blackspot seabream fleet by 2005, among other measures. (FIS/MP)

E U approves changes to decommissioning funds

The European Parliament (EP) has responded to calls for more flexibility in the granting of reconversion funds for the fleet that used to operate in Moroccan waters. Amendments to current regulation were approved by 357 votes with 38 against and 29 abstentions. Calls to simplify the application process and make it easier for fishermen to receive aid were backed by the main political groups who had asked Fisheries commissioner Franz Fischler to introduce changes to the system. Specific requests included extending the deadline beyond March 31 and that there should be no link between granting aid to a vessel's crew and the owner's decision to have the ship scrapped or to move into a joint venture. The EP criticised the rigidity of the current rules, which has prevented a considerable number of crew members who used to work in Morocco from receiving the EUR 12,000 aid, restricting the grant to only those who worked on board vessels that have been scrapped or that have established joint ventures in other countries. EU legislators have gone even further and requested that subsidies be paid to all workers retroactively as from January 2002. Euro MP Daniel Varela Suanzes, from the People's Party (PP), and the Socialist representative Rosa Miguélez, both issued statements congratulating the European Parliament on this decision. In the meantime, it was revealed that some of the Galician fishermen who used to fish in Moroccan waters decided on new careers, with aquaculture and tourism as the most popular economic alternatives. According to La Voz de Galicia, 13 of the 18 applications approved by the Galician Xunta claimed funding to set up an aquaculture farm to grow turbot in sea cages. Other grants have been approved for fishermen who worked on board vessels based in Ribeira and A Guarda who are setting up a rural tourist centre and two restaurants. The Fisheries Council expected another 10 applications by the original 31 March deadline. A EUR 60,000 grant will be paid to applicants on condition that they will not go back to fishing for at least five years. Regarding the options for vessel owners, fisheries councillor Enrique López Veiga said 36 (64%) of the 56 Galician fishing vessels affected by the termination of the agreement with Morocco decided to remain active instead of accepting the decommissioning subsidy. Of the 36 vessels that will continue operating, 20 vessel owners chose to set up joint ventures with Moroccan companies. Another 16 vessel owners will continue fishing under the Spanish flag and their vessels are now operating in different fishing grounds around the world. (FIS/MP).

Hake ban in Uruguay

The squid harvest is set to run from April 10 through 31 August in the Common Fishing Zone (CFZ) shared by Argentina and Uruguay, but hake catches are banned from 1 April through 30 June. The Joint Technical Commission for the Maritime Front says the ban on hubbsi hake (Merluccius hubbsi) is essential for the "conservation and rational exploitation of the species" by protecting juvenile stocks. The measure bans hake catching and bottomfish trawling gears in the CFZ between points: ? 35°35'S - 53°25'W ? 35°35'S - 52°25'W ? 38°35'S - 57°20'W ? 38°35'S - 56°15'W The regulation 1/2003 also allows vessels targeting pelagic species and carrying an observer on board to operate in the area. Regulation 3/2003 sets the start date for catching Argentine shortfin squid (Illex argentinus) in the CFZ as 10 April in accordance with recommendations based on scientific analysis. Squid companies are reminded that the fisheries authorities of both countries will not allow the bycatch of other species - not covered by their fishing licences - to exceed 10 per cent of the total catch from each trip. (FIS/MP).