MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Fisheries News.

Headlines:
Toothfish operators fight illegal fishing; Twelve years cod ban in North Sea proposed; Eight months red tide ban continues in Santa Cruz; EU restrictions threaten krill meal; Good shrimp season forecasted in Patagonia;

Toothfish operators fight illegal fishing

WWF welcomed the launch of a new international alliance of fishing companies to combat the illegal fishing of Patagonian toothfish in the Southern Ocean. The Coalition of Legal Toothfish (patagonian) Operators (COLTO), was launched at the European Seafood Show in May. COLTO companies originate from many nations, including Australia, New Zealand, Spain, France, South Africa, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Falkland Islands/Isles Malvinas, and Namibia. The coalition is determined to rid the seas of the illegal vessels which threaten the sustainability of the toothfish resource to the point that the fisheries could be closed off to the licenced and managed operators. "The Australian operators have been working closely with WWF for a number of years to advocate strong actions by governments and management agencies to deal effectively with the problem that illegal fishing represents," said Ms Margaret Moore, Senior Marine Policy Office at WWF-Australia. WWF does not want to see the legal operators put out of business and commends COLTO for its proactive approach to the problem. As part of COLTO's effort to address illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, the coalition is offering rewards for information which will lead to the identification, apprehension, and conviction of the vessels fishing illegally in the Southern Ocean. "The responsible companies that WWF has worked with through the years have taken many actions to combat illegal fishing of toothfish. They funded and helped obtain industry support for setting up ISOFISH, the watchdog organisation to report on IUU fishing, and they participated in the development of the UNFAO's International Plan of Action on IUU fishing. Additionally, they participated in the development of a proposal to list Toothfish species on CITES II Schedule and lobbied the Australian government to take the proposal forward to CITES. These companies and the coalition deserve strong support from WWF, we will continue to work closely with them," concluded Moore. IUU fishing not only puts the livelihood of the legal fishers at risk but has enormous impacts on the marine environment and the species that rely on it, such as the highly migratory albatrosses and petrels. WWF is working with regional fisheries bodies to control IUU fishing, and is working to ensure that a new UN Task Force created to address the problem of flags of convenience will include measures to mitigate IUU fishing. (WWF).-

Twelve years cod ban in North Sea proposed

The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) is calling for cod fisheries to be closed for the foreseeable future to allow the levels to recover. This, say ICES, could take as long as five to 12 years. ICES, a non-political organisation that coordinates and promotes marine research in the North Atlantic, has reviewed the status of cod stocks in the North Sea, Kattegat, Irish Sea and west of Scotland, in light of survey results in 2002 and early 2003 and fisheries data from 2002. They believe that these stocks are still below minimum recommended levels and in many cases they are in even worse condition than previously predicted, according to a press release. ICES was also asked to review the European Commission's proposal for a recovery plan for these cod stocks, and concluded that a prerequisite for the success of the plan is an initial boost of the spawning stock biomass. To achieve this, ICES believes that there should be no fishing for cod in these areas until the stocks show signs of recovery. The spawning stock biomass is the total biomass of fish of reproductive age during the breeding season of the stock. The first sign of a possible recovery will come when research indicates a good year class, that is, fish hatched or born in a particular year. Once a good year class appears, it takes about three years before they contribute significantly to the spawning stock biomass. It is predicted that, following the Commission's recovery plan, it will take at least another five years for the stock to recover, and some estimates say that recovery time could be as high as 12 years. ICES also explained that there is no way of predicting when the next strong year class will occur. For the North Sea cod the last one was 1996. The recommended minimum level of cod stock in the North Sea is 70,000 tonnes. If current fishing levels continue, it's estimated that the spawning stock biomass will be at only 28,800 tonnes, and if the fishing pressure is reduced according to the European Commission plan, then the spawning stock mass may reach an estimated 52,600 tonnes. The minimum recommended level for the Irish Sea cod stock is 10,000 tonnes, and recent estimations put the current level at 6,500 tonnes. Cod stock levels along the west coast of Scotland are estimated at 2,500 tonnes, a fraction of the minimum recommended level of 22,000 tonnes, while spawning stock in the Kattegat have fallen by about 71 per cent, from 35,000 tonnes in the early 1970s to about 10,000 tonnes in the 1990s. The Norwegian coastal cod has declined continuously since 1994, with the spawning stock biomass at its lowest level ever of 63,224 tonnes, down from 152,225 tonnes in 1984. The North Sea herring is the only fishery to show an increase in stock, and the spawning stock biomass is expected to rise this year by a good 38 per cent - from 1.6 million tonnes in 2002, to 2.2 million tonnes in 2003. (FIS/MP).-

Eight months red tide ban continues in Santa Cruz

Despite the drop in toxicity levels in bivalve molluscs, the ban on catches and consumption of the affected species will remain in force, say Santa Cruz province health authorities in southern Argentina. The precautionary ban was imposed almost eight months ago, November 5 last year and throughout the period Argentine Coast Guard officials have carried out regular tests to monitor the toxicity of bivalve molluscs. The latest test shows that toxicity levels have dropped, according to a report released this week by the Santa Cruz Department of Food Science and Hygiene. Nevertheless the authorities have decided that the ban should continue for the time being. The report reveals the following toxin levels found in several provincial cities: · San Julián (analysis on mussel) 397 MU · Puerto Santa Cruz (mussel) 465 MU · Puerto Deseado (mussel) 227 MU · Río Gallegos (mussel) 0 MU · Caleta Olivia (mussel) 0 MU The maximum permitted level 400 MU (Mouse Units). Santa Cruz health authorities will continue taking samples on the local coast and the ban will remain in force for mussel, clam, cockle, oysters, scallop, and winkle until toxicity is well below the maximum permitted level to guarantee they are safe for human consumption. Authorities have also warned that contaminated molluscs cannot be differentiated from healthy ones, and that the amount of toxin contained in just one specimen can be lethal. There is no known antidote or specific treatment for the red tide toxins affecting Santa Cruz province. (FIS/MP).-

EU restrictions threaten krill meal

A new European Union import restriction is threatening the use of crustaceans - especially krill - in fishmeal production, because of concerns over their fluorine content. Fluorine is a natural gas that combines with other elements to form several compounds, including fluoride and hydrogen fluoride. These fluorine compounds are listed by the US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) among more than 200 substances that pose a significant threat to human health. Fluorine and hydrogen fluoride can cause irritation to the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract. At very high levels, hydrogen fluoride can also damage the heart, according to the agency. Because of the potential health risks, the EU is limiting the amount of fluorine allowed in feed for animals and in fish that are destined for human consumption. The maximum permitted level is being set at 500ppm from 1 August 2003, in accordance with Directive 2002/32/EC issued in May last year. If this directive prevails, it will effectively end the use of crustaceans - such as North European prawn, South Asian and South American shrimp, and South Antarctic krill -in fishmeal. However according to a detailed scientific report by Chile-based fisheries specialist Dimitri Sclabos Katevas this will mean losing out on the natural pigments in the form of astaxanthine, natural amino acids and fatty acids, only found in these products, and a powerful natural palatability effect for aqua feeds. Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) is one of the most important ingredients in aquaculture feed is. But it has a high natural fluorine content giving meal manufactured from this krill natural organic fluorine content in the range of 1000-3000 ppm. Salmon, shrimp, tuna and other important hatchery feeds have used krill meal for many years as an important source of energy, natural pigmentation agent, and feeding stimulant, among other relevant nutritional properties. In the report Dimitri Sclabos defends the use of krill, citing studies that have shown that salmon fed with krill did not accumulate significant amounts of fluorine in their flesh (Storbakken 1988). He also says similar results were found with trout feeds (Tiews et al 1981), while other research points to additional benefits of using krill in salmon feed, such as improved disease resistance (Haig-Brown 1994). It now remains to be seen whether the aquaculture industry can convince European Union officials that the use of krill meal in fish farming poses no threat to human health. (FIS/MP).-

Good shrimp season forecasted in Patagonia

Argentine red shrimp (Pleoticus muelleri) season are usually a surprise, according to Patagonian fishermen, but for this coming season they are predicting a harvest of almost 35,000 tonnes. Argentine Patagonian Fisheries Chamber (Capip) manager Alejandro Cagliolo believes this year's harvest will be good, although catches are likely to be around 30% below last year. Still far away from the record 71,000 tonnes of 2001, the volume has steadily improved since the 90s when they dropped to just 7,000 tonnes, Cagliolo told El Chubut. Mr. Cagliolo points out that fishing is a high risk activity, influenced by a number of factors, which is why the industry is so keen in support research. Together with the Argentine Patagonian Shrimp Chamber (Calapa), Capip has agreed to contribute the cost of fuel for the vessels taking part in National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development (Inidep) research cruise. Argentine shrimp industry has collaborated with Inidep in the past. Last February Arbumasa loaned a vessel to the institute so it could carry out a fishery test to determine a suitable date for lifting the temporary shrimp fishing ban. Industry organisations are also helping Inidep to carry out research on the feasibility of an acoustic fish dispersal device for use in the shrimp fishery. Mr. Cagliolo said Capip totally supported the new regulations that were imposed on the shrimp fishery less than a week ago by the Argentine Federal Fisheries Council (CFP). He said the chamber was particularly pleased with the strict penalties for offenders stipulating that any shrimp licenced vessel caught fishing in areas that are subject to a hake ban will be banned from fishing for 90 consecutive days. Capip has even offered financial support for the Argentine Coast Guard and the Navy to increase surveillance. (FIS/MP).-