MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Fisheries News.

Headlines:
Uruguayan Navy arrests Brazilian poacher;
Salmon safeguards: EU accepts consultation process with Chile; European Fisheries Agency takes off in 2006; 199 Spanish vessels allowed to fish in Northeast Atlantic; New denomination for Chilean scallop exports to Italy.

Uruguayan Navy arrests Brazilian poacher

A Uruguayan Navy patrol vessel appealed to intimidating fire to arrest one of two Brazilian fishing vessels caught poaching in Uruguayan waters last week. According to naval reports an air patrol detected the two Brazilian vessels operating ten miles inside Uruguay's EEZ and 40 miles offshore. When the Brazilian vessels realized a Uruguayan naval patrol was heading for their position, they abandoned nets and other fishing gear and fled northeast towards neighbouring Brazilian waters. They further ignored orders to stop engines so the Uruguayan patrol fired two intimidating shots. However one of them "Langosta Vermelha", and is spite of the shots, tried to ram the Uruguayan patrol which then threatened to open fire directly to the fishing vessel. They finally turned the engines off and a party from the Uruguayan Navy boarded the fishing vessel where they found several tons of fresh fish and evidence of illegal fishing. But the distraction operations allowed the second vessel, "Costa Vermelha" to escape arrest. "Langosta Vermelha" was escorted to the port of La Paloma where the captain and crew will be facing trial for illegal fishing.

Salmon safeguards: EU accepts consultation process with Chile

European Union (EU) authorities have accepted to begin a consultation process in response to a formal request filed by the Chilean Government at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) regarding the salmon safeguards imposed early February. "I knew by intuition that the EU would accept the request for a consultation process, that is what civilised nations do" said Lagos Weber, Director of Multilateral Affairs at the General Directorate of International Economic Relations (DIRECON), after learning about the EU decision. Chilean and European authorities must reach an agreement in order to define a date for the beginning of the conciliation meetings, a process that should be defined before 8 April. Mr. Weber said that consultations will be made at WTO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and "I estimate that within no more than three weeks, the Chilean Government and European authorities may begin talks" reported "El Mercurio" in Santiago. Mr. Weber indicated that "Chile will present its arguments against the safeguards, but if following the dialogue, EU insists in enforcing them, the Chilean Government will ask the WTO to set up a special group or arbitration panel, for a quick resolution to the conflict". EU safeguard measures on Chilean salmon and trout imported include import tariffs plus minimum import prices until 13 August 2008. The Chilean Government remains alert since EU might attempt impeding the setting up of a special group at least once before the WTO Dispute Settlement Body holds its second meeting. However there's also the possibility of an unexpected ally, the Danish Government which might request the European Commission to reconsider the safeguards decision on Chilean, Norwegian, and Faroese salmon wince this has negative effects for its fisheries processing industry. (FIS/MP).-

European Fisheries Agency takes off in 2006

The European Fisheries Monitoring Agency will come into effect in 2006, a year earlier than planned, announced Elena Espinosa, head of Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA). The minister added that "in 15 to 20 days time" the European Union (EU) will release the agency's by-laws and competences. Ms. Espinosa also seemed confident the organization will go beyond the mere inspecting role and also addresses the "training of inspectors and inspection technicians" as well as the coordination of fishing research "carried out within the EU." Although she did not announce where the agency will be located, Ms. Espinosa pointed out that Customs headquarters, by the Vigo Port Authority building, is the most convincing site. The European Parliament Fisheries Commission passed the report on the creation of the agency last February 2, by 18 to six and one abstention. In related news Ms. Espinosa said Spain may soon be resuming fishing negotiations with Morocco and declared herself in favour of sending EU vessels to the tsunami hit areas in Asia. Should this initiative be approved Spain and France will be the EU countries most affected since "they have a higher number of vessels of less than 16 metres (FIS/MP).-

199 Spanish vessels allowed to fish in Northeast Atlantic

The General Secretariat of Maritime Fisheries has authorised 199 offshore, distant water and long-line Spanish vessels weighing more than 100 GRT to operate within the geographical limits of the Northeast Atlantic Fisheries Commission in 2005. The information was published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA), in the Spanish Official Bulletin, February 15. It also details the fishing possibilities and effort coefficient for each of the areas under the management of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), and for all the vessels of the six associations they belong to. Most of the authorised vessels are members of the Gran Sol Vessel Owners' Association (ANASOL), which were granted 111 licenses. The Ondarroa Offshore Producers' Organisation (OPPAO) received the second largest share, with 47 licenses. La Coruña Fishing Vessel Owners' Association (ARPESCO) was allocated 18 licenses; the Lugo Fisheries Producers' Organisation (OPP-LUGO), nine licenses; and the Cantabrian Trawlers' Organisation (OPECA), eight licenses. Lastly, the North and Northeast Association of Small and Medium Fresh Fish Vessels (NORPESC) was awarded six licenses by the General Secretariat of Maritime Fisheries. The Northeast Atlantic Fisheries Commission is the body in charge of setting the total allowable catches and adopting measures to distribute adequately the resources extracted in waters under its jurisdiction. The main species caught in NEAFC waters are blue whiting, cod and hake. (FIS/MP).-

New denomination for Chilean scallop exports to Italy

After five years of negotiations between the Chilean Embassy and the ProChile Commercial Office in Italy, with representatives from the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Chilean scallop will finally achieve a higher ranked category, Pacific Cappasanta. From 1997 on, Chilean scallop marketed in Italy was classified as Pacific Canestrello. However, as it is a higher quality product with higher commercial value, Chileans have always felt undermined because it was not classified as Pacific Cappasanta. The new denomination for the Chilean scallop exported to Italy was announced via a videoconference from the office of the governmental agency, ProChile, located in Santiago, tied to the ProChile Directorate in La Serena and its Commercial Office in Italy, reported the website, Aqua. ProChile's director, Manuel Valencia; the director of the ProChile Commercial Office in Italy, Eliana Merlet; and the director of the Chilean Association of Oyster and Scallop Producers (APOOCH) and general manager with the exporting company Cultivos Marinos Internacionales, John Völker, among others, took part in the videoconference. To achieve new classification, ProChile Italy, with APOOCHs cooperation, proved through taxonomic studies that Chilean scallop of the Argopecten purpuratus species belonged to the Pectinidae family, an internationally recognised, high quality species. The change in denomination for Chilean scallop is highly significant, as Italy is the second main destination for exports of this product, after France. "Following this decision, the denomination of this bivalve is standardized at the European level, providing important market opportunities," said Mr. Merlet in a statement to Aqua. Mr. Völker believes scallop exports "could increase by 10%, as the resource becomes more attractive for the Italian market". Furthermore he proposes Chile promotes Pacific Cappasanta in seafood expos and fairs. During the first eleven months of 2004, scallop exports to Italy totaled just over a million US dollars, representing a 151.8% increase over 2003. (FIS/MP).-