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Fisheries News.

Hedlines: Catches must be classified for landing; Uruguay tough on minimum sizes; EU backs Spanish access to Greenland fisheries; Brazil: more reservoirs for fish farming. More...

Under new regulations fishing vessels in Argentina must land their catches classified with frozen products, boxes or similar properly labelled with the name of the species and the type of product it contains. Argentine Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Secretariat (SAGPyA) introduced the new rules to tighten controls at authorised ports and make it easier for the authorities to verify all legitimate catches with the vessel's documentation. Resolution 408/2003, published 19 May in the Official State Bulletin, replaces Resolution N° 973 of 28 December 2000. It specifies that landings must be sorted into individual species or products and boxes should not be mixed when different species or products are being unloaded. The different species must be grouped separately onboard or on the wharf to make inspection and monitoring tasks easier. However the new regulations allow companies to carry out sorting and classification of catches at the processing plant or other location if necessary, subject to prior authorisation from the Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture. This means operational factors can be taken into account, such as bad weather or other circumstances that may affect product quality when catches remain in port awaiting inspection. In such cases authorisation will be given to companies that request it, for the products to be transferred to the plant where the inspection will continue. Vessel owners must collaborate with inspectors to allow them to complete their work efficiently. This may include identification and verification of species or product, weighing, counting, measuring, or sampling catches, or any other task deemed necessary, whether it is carried out onboard, on the wharf or at the processing plant. (FIS/MP).

Hake is recovering, say Basque scientists

The Hake fishery - the most heavily exploited by the Basque fleet - is not on the verge of collapse, according to local government scientists. Hake catches have been recovering for the last two years, anchovy and Atlantic mackerel stocks are within safe limits for sustainability and albacore stocks are stable, according to the researchers. Despite the claims of international organisations stressing the fragility of hake stocks, the Basque country's Azti Fishing Institute says just a slight reduction in pressure would be enough to allow stocks to recover. Lorenzo Motos from Azti told Diario Vasco that hake stocks were not currently at their best, but the catches obtained during the last two years suggested that predictions made by international organisations were alarmist. "The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) research in 1998 and 1999 raised the alarm and drastic measures were taken regarding quotas," said Motos. But 2001 and 2002 saw good catch levels, showing that the situation is not that bad. It only needs strict regulations to make sure vessels do not catch undersized or juvenile fish, for stocks to recover, he said. The fleet from Guipúzcoa that fished in the Atlantic in 1960 caught almost 100,000 tonnes of Benguela hake, compared with just 40,000 tonnes in recent years. The successive restrictions on the hake fishery have seen the fleet cut by 59% and the number of fishermen reduced accordingly, since 1985. The Azti researchers say the anchovy, Atlantic mackerel, and blue jack mackerel ? which, together with hake, are the most important resources for the coastal fishing economy ? are within acceptable limits for sustainability. In fact, the Bay of Biscay anchovy is considered to be under-exploited. Catches dropped dramatically last year, sparking concern within the sector. "It is traditionally a highly variable species and that explains last year's catches of less than 10,000 tonnes when the average during the 90s was 40,000 tonnes," said Motos. The abundance of Atlantic mackerel and blue jack mackerel is also improving with each season and, together with tunids, these are the fisheries that actually support the Basque fleet nowadays. Albacore - the main resource - is slightly above anchovy. According to Motos this fishery is fully exploited with catches and stocks balanced, but any increase in pressure would alter the balance. Although he admitted the total catches of this species has fallen considerably ? to 30,000 tonnes a year from 70,000 tonnes a year in the 60s ? the population is stable. The status of Northern bluefin tuna is more worrying. This species only represents 3% of the coastal fleet's total catches but stocks show clear signs of over exploitation. (FIS/MP).-

Uruguay tough on minimum sizes

A new team of Uruguayan fisheries inspectors will be monitoring the size of fish landed to make sure they are not below the minimum permitted size. Uruguay's National Directorate of Aquatic Resources (Dinara) has created the new, specially trained team following disputes between officials, vessel owners and crewmembers. Although investigations carried out last year found instances of undersized fish, vessel owners challenged the findings on a technicality. This meant there were no prosecutions for breaches of article N° 49 of Decree 149/97, which stipulates minimum sizes and maximum percentages of the total catch. In some cases Dinara even had to reimburse crew wages due to procedural errors. The new inspection team has been specially trained in sampling and measuring techniques to avoid a repeat of past mistakes and allow the authorities to process and fine offenders more effectively. The new inspection regime has already uncovered breaches in regulations among some vessels of the coastal trawling fleet. The fleet targets whitemouth croaker (Micropogonias furnieri) and striped weakfish (Cynoscion guatucupa), both of which are showing signs of overfishing. As a result of the inspections, discards at sea are likely to increase. Some skippers claim they had to return more than 10% of their catches to the sea, to avoid falling foul of regulations. Under article N° 49 of Decree 149/97, the minimum landing sizes are 35 cm for hake, 32 cm for croaker and 27 cm for striped weakfish. Landings must not include more than 15% of undersized hake, or five per cent in the case of the other two species. (FIS/MP).-

EU backs Spanish access to Greenland fisheries

Spanish Euro MP Rosa Miguélez has asked the European Parliament Fisheries Committee to amend the fisheries agreement with Greenland to provide benefits, on equal terms, for the Spanish and Portuguese fleets. Miguélez specifically asks for the remaining quota - around 45 per cent of the total - to be equally distributed among all member states with fisheries interests. According to La Voz de Galicia, the European Commission welcomed this proposal and said that it was common practice in other agreements and would not undermine the principle of relative stability. Apparently, the EU has agreed to ask for Spain and Portugal to have access to Greenland's waters, and will promote EU-Greenland joint ventures, which Spanish, Portuguese and British vessel owners are interested in. Miguélez said it was "time to reform fishing relationships with Greenland" without having to wait until 2006, when the current agreement is due to expire. The EU is paying EUR 256.92 million, at EUR 42.8 million a year, for the six year agreement. According to analysts, the fishing agreement with Greenland is one of the most expensive for the EU but is also one of the most attractive for the sector, especially since the agreements with Argentina and Morocco expired. But at the moment, only fleets from Britain, Denmark, Germany and France are allowed to access the fishing grounds, which belong to Denmark. The Spanish and Portuguese fleets are not allowed. Miguélez denounced it as "an arrangement disguised as a fishing agreement, since every year Greenland gets EUR 14 million that have nothing to do with fisheries." It only served to catch "paper fish" she said, referring to the fishing licences that are not being taken advantage of. The EU agreement with Greenland is based on financial compensation in exchange for permission to access the fishing grounds. Because of the amount paid by the EU - which represents four per cent of the country's wealth - vessel owners are exempt from paying licence fees to fish in that area. (FIS/MP).

Brazil: more reservoirs for fish farming

Brazilian authorities are planning to boost fish production by increasing the use of reservoirs. In Brazil there are more than two million hectares of these lakes but only two per cent are currently being used. Fisheries Secretary José Fritsch, told ClicRBS that Itá dam, in Santa Catarina state, has 103 km of flooded area which could be used for coastal producers or cooperatives, through a contract transferring use of the public water. To lower costs and boost production, the Fisheries Department is considering the possibility of applying new technologies for the use of net pens to replace the ones made of galvanised tubes that are currently in use. The latest measures form part of the government's ambitious challenge to export 1 million tonnes of fish by the end of 2003. Fritsch says Brazil could export 30,000 tonnes of tilapia alone, at almost USD 5/kg, compared with the 8,000 tonnes that are being exported at present. There are various projects in the pipeline, to be included in the 2004 budget, that will promote the financing of fish farming ponds, dams and maritime fisheries. Fisheries Secretary Mr. Fritsch is also negotiating with the Ministry of Agrarian Development and the Bank of Brazil the availability of funds for aquaculture within the National Programme for Family Aquaculture Support (Pronaf). (FIS/MP).-

US initiative against overfishing

A new initiative has been announced that is aimed at increasing the number of certified sustainable fisheries in North America. Whole Foods Market (WFM) announced in a press release that it is to fund the Marine Stewardship Council's (MSC) new initiative, known as the "Whole Foods Market Americas Fisheries Initiative". The USD 225,000 grant, to be spread over three years, will allow the MSC to employ a dedicated Fisheries Outreach Officer to identify and certify more fisheries. The officer is expected to develop and cultivate strong relationships with fisheries, fishery leaders and other stakeholders in the fishing industry. "At a time when scientists have just reported vast declines in large predatory fish over the past 50 years, we are thrilled to be able to support a scientific-based seafood certification program here in the Americas to encourage and recognise well-managed fisheries," said Margaret Wittenberg, the vice president of governmental and public affairs for Whole Foods Market and co-chair of the MSC's Stakeholder Council and member of the Board of Trustees. "As a retailer often responsible for setting trends within the sector, we believe this initiative is a natural step to further demonstrate our commitment to the sustainable seafood movement and to help certify more fisheries that offer seafoods commonly preferred here in the United States." There are currently seven fisheries to have received certification under the international programme for sustainable and well-managed fisheries of the MSC. This programme allows consumers to readily identify seafood that is not over fished or caught with methods that are harmful to the environment. A third party certifier monitors the catch levels of MSC-certified seafood, as well as the age and gender of the fish being caught, which assists the maintenance of population levels and appropriate reproductive capacity. Nine seafood products in need of certification have been identified by the MSC. They include cold water prawns (shrimp), warm water prawns, cod, pollock, crab, mackerel, herring, hake and tuna. The MSC has also begun to identify fisheries in the Americas with a significant market presence, or which can provide examples of good fisheries management. Species from these fisheries include Alaska halibut, Alaska sablefish (black cod), West Coast Dungeness crab, West Coast spot prawns, Pacific pink shrimp, Pacific and Alaska flatfish, California squid, Blue crab, Alaska cod, Pacific and Atlantic herring, Pacific and Atlantic Mahi-Mahi (dolphin fish), Albacore tuna, Bering Sea pollock, East Coast Striped bass, South American hake and Gulf mackerel. "These species are of interest to an environmentally concerned retailer like Whole Foods Market because of their importance as widely consumed seafood," added Wittenberg. "We expect this project to both identify fisheries that may ultimately be certified and to engage other fisheries in the movement toward becoming more sustainable so that we may truly have fish for future generations to enjoy." The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to creating sustainable fisheries around the world by using market-based incentives. The Whole Foods Market has often promoted the MSC programme for sustainable fisheries in North America. The retailer, that was founded in Austin, Texas, has 140 stores in the US and Canada. The position of Fisheries Outreach Officer has been advertised, and is expected to be filled by the beginning of July. (FIS/MP).-

NZ aquaculture research funds boost

Research into viable aquaculture projects in New Zealand received a boost with the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology announcement that it was granting the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) funds worth NZD 1.5 million a year for six years. NIWA plans to use the funds to study farming methods for kingfish, groper, kina, lobsters and eels. "This research will be done in collaboration with leading industry partners and developed into viable and profitable commercial culture," said NIWA's leading scientist, Andrew Jeffs in a recent statement. According to Dr Jeffs, the research should generate more than NZD 10 million in new products each year, with exports creating about 80 per cent of that income. "NIWA is deliberately targeting five high value species in an effort to reduce the dependency on New Zealand's three main farmed fish species, greenshell mussels, chinook salmon and Pacific oysters. "Aquaculture is New Zealand's fastest growing rural industry, but the overall value of our product is only about NZD 1,500 a tonne, whereas the value of the Australian aquaculture product is about NZD 30,000 a ton because they culture higher value species such as tuna and prawns." Dr Jeffs estimates that finfish farming is capable of generating up to 800 tonnes of fish per hectare, which would create more than 50 jobs and be worth about NZD 10 million. NIWA's research facility at Bream Bay, near Whangarei, has already begun to produce kingfish, mussels and oysters. Research on kina is to be carried out at Mahanga Bay in Wellington. According to a NIWA press release, the research house will also work in close association with more than 30 industry and Maori groups on this project. Meanwhile, it has also been announced that the Marlborough Sounds is to host the country's first marine farm for kingfish. Island Aquafarms Ltd has converted four salmon farm cages to raise juvenile yellowtail kingfish in Crail Bay. The kingfish will be farmed under an existing licence to farm salmon, held by mussel farmer Graeme Clarke, according to Marlborough District Council, after the Ministry of Fisheries (MFish) stated there was not discernible difference between growing the two species. A marine biologist will be on site to monitor the farm and report back to the council. The operation is to be limited to the confines of existing cages until evidence is received from a staged farming process, says a senior manager of aquaculture for MFish, Scott Williamson. Facility manager, Dr Simon Hooker, called the Marlborough project an exciting development in the farming of kingfish, and aquaculture's "best opportunity to create wealth". He said that after a year of growing kingfish the plant was now ready to upscale it's production and commercialize technology. Kingfish fetch prices of about NZD 17 per kg in Sydney, but can fetch hundreds of dollars each in Japan, where they are used for sashimi. A large kingfish can weigh 50 kg and be 2.5 meters in length. NIWA is committed to rigorous environmental testing, as well as diversifying and adding value to aquaculture, according to Dr Hooker. "I guess where I come from in this and NIWA is that I would like to see the industry flourish with really good environmental understanding as well." Dr Jeffs added that NIWA is focused on adding value to aquaculture in New Zealand. "We are trying to develop species that are worth more than mussels. New Zealand is mostly focused on developing low value aquaculture species." New Zealand aquaculture is currently only worth about NZD 1,600 per tonne, while Australian aquaculture is worth around NZD 30,000 per ton, Dr Jeffs said. (FIS/MP).-

Chile targets 750,000 salmon tonnes in ten years

A poll carried out by the Chilean Ministry of Economy reveals that the country's farmed salmon production may reach more than 750,000 tonnes annually by 2013, with global production exceeding 1.5 million tonnes. The government research, which examined the economic scenario for aquaculture over the next ten years, was carried out under the Technological Forecast Programme and 179 industry experts took part. According to Aqua, 57 per cent of those polled said the domestic market was very important and they believed domestic consumption - especially of frozen and canned products - would increase once prices had dropped. The remaining 43 per cent thought the domestic market would be less important in future for the development of the industry, claiming it is too small a market, with a tendency towards consumption of low price marine products. Chilean producers said their salmon should be recognized on international markets as a healthy, "high quality product from the world's cleanest, purest, crystalline waters" that is produced with the utmost care for the environment. Sales on the international market should be focused on increasing the participation of existing markets, according to 36 per cent of those polled while the other 64 per cent think new markets should be created - especially in Asia, and China in particular. The results of the poll also revealed that producers regard environmental issues of being very important to the population and they aimed to achieve 38 environmental measures within the next 10 years. They also identified 39 areas where more training was needed to improve competition. Almost all producers agreed that the regulations governing aquaculture need to be simplified and improved. They listed 27 farmed species that could boost international sales within 10 years, including abalone, scallop, hake, algae, baby mussel and turbot. The poll was carried out between September 2002 and March 2003, and involved company owners, managers and technicians from aquaculture companies and suppliers, researchers and university lecturers and professionals from the public sector. (FIS/MP).-

Toothfish boycotted by Florida chefs

More than 100 Florida chefs joined the national campaign to stop serving toothfish, popularly marketed as Chilean sea bass, citing growing concern that the popular fish is in danger of extinction. The campaign "Take a Pass on Chilean Sea Bass," is sponsored by the National Environmental Trust and The Antarctica Project, and more than 1,000 US chefs from more than a dozen of the nation's major metropolitan areas. "We are taking Chilean Sea Bass off our plates in order to keep it on the planet," Pedro Maradiaga, executive chef of Bongos Cuban Cafi, told the Environmental News Service. The restaurant industry accounts for 70 per cent of all Chilean Sea Bass sales in the United States. Chilean Sea Bass is a marketing name for the Patagonian toothfish, a deep water fish that gained tremendous popularity over the past decade. The species is being decimated by illegal overfishing and several populations have already gone commercially extinct. "The non-stop pace of illegal fishing virtually guarantees that the entire fishery will collapse in less than five years unless we take immediate action," said Beth Clark, director of the Antarctica Project. "Last year alone, with regulations in place, nearly 40,000 tons of Chilean Sea Bass were illegally fished in the waters around Antarctica." Some estimates find that as much 80 per cent of Chilean Sea Bass sold on the world market is obtained illegally. Many environmentalists believe that the current regulations are not enough to prevent the species from extinction. "Chilean Sea Bass had been a signature dish at Nikki Beach ever since we opened," said executive chef Brian Molloy. "This has been an extremely hard decision because the entree is so popular, and we were selling about 60 to 80 pounds of it each week, but we know that removing it from our menu is simply the right thing to do". (FIS/MP).-

Disappointing results for Gibraltar tuna fishery

Vessel owners from Algeciras and Tarifa say bad weather and a shortage of tuna in the Straits of Gibraltar ruined the fishery that ended in March. The season, which began August 2002, was considered very poor in Algeciras market because it failed to match the previous season's 331,000 kilogram total tuna catch, although prices were better than last year's. Algeciras Fishermen's Union chief skipper Manuel Crujeiras told Europa Sur that the figures were "very poor" and the season as a whole was disappointing. "We hope next one will be better and last longer," he said. In fact, the tuna fishery in the Straits of Gibraltar has been getting longer. Several years ago, the campaign lasted from August to December, but during the last two years, catches have continued until March. The local fleet operates during the first three months of the season, which are usually the best as regards prices. The tuna fishery is an alternative for the southern Spanish fleet and involves most of the almost thirty tuna vessels from Algeciras and Tarifa. Vessel owners are becoming increasingly interested in this fishery, despite the EUR 40,000-60,000 investment needed to equip the vessels with the necessary bait hatchery and special rigs. According to vessel owners, many of these modifications can be carried out through government fleet modernization plans. The resulting new vessels are "multipurpose" which makes it easier to participate in other complementary fisheries. According to chief skipper Crujeiras, many vessel owners alternate with the fish hairtail and seabream fishery, because tuna is migratory and is therefore not always in the fishing ground. Mr. Crujeiras also said the fishery was affected by the ban on driftnets, which are still being used by France, Italy, Greece and Turkey. Cujeiras complained that the ban had almost halved landings. "But 300 vessels from Morocco were still using them". (FIS/MP)

Chile-Peru fisheries cooperation

Chilean authorities are setting up a mechanism for bilateral consultation on fisheries and maritime law, to jointly coordinate with Peru issues that affect both countries. Government representatives from Peru and Chile met on May 15 and agreed on the two main objectives: to jointly safeguard the interests of both countries, especially at sea, and to jointly tackle the different technical- scientific aspects required to improve fisheries development. The Peruvian delegation was headed by the deputy Fisheries Minister, Leoncio Alvarez, and the under-secretary of American Affairs, José Antonio Meier Espinoza. The Chilean delegation was led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Environment Director José Manuel Ovalle, and the director of the National Fisheries Service, Sergio Mujica Torres. Both delegations agreed that the cooperation agreement would allow Peru to bring its fisheries policies and actions into line with those of Chile, regarding issues such as securing an end to restrictions on fishmeal exports to the European Union markets. Government officials will hold meetings at least once a year, alternating between Chile and Peru, and fishing industry representatives will be invited to participate in their debates. Chilean and Peruvian authorities are confident this measure will help them exchange information and collaborate in monitoring toxic algae blooms, which is due for discussion at the meeting taking place next month in Chile. Both countries praised the agencies involved for their efforts in setting up the Integrated Management of the Humboldt Current Marine Ecosystem - the Peruvian Institute of the Sea (Imarpe) and the Institute for Fisheries Development (Ifop) from Chile - in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido). (FIS/MP).-

New seafood technology center in Galicia

A new EUR 7 million Seafood Industry Innovation Center is being set up in Galicia, northeast or Spain to help fisheries related companies become more competitive. The new center will be based alongside the Marine Technology Centre?Cetmar Foundation in Vigo and is being created as part of the economic recovery plan - Plan Galicia - that was launched in the wake of the Prestige disaster Galicia's Fisheries Minister, Enrique López Veiga, says the new center will take build on the work of private research centers and universities. He welcomed the decision to base the center in Vigo, given that it is the hub of the fishery product manufacturing industry. Cetmar director Amancio Landín said the initiative represented "a challenge for the future" and the building and equipment might be functioning by next year. The Seafood Industry Innovation Center will offer support to fishermen, producers, processors, and manufacturers and to other agencies involved in shellfish gathering, coastal fishing and aquaculture. According to Cetmar, the new center will identify and apply new technologies in food production from fishing and aquaculture. It will aim to improve and optimize production processes, to promote the transfer of technology and implement quality standards - ISO 9000 and 14000 - in manufacturing. (FIS/MP).-