Fisheries

• Sunday, December 20th 2009 - 09:00 UTC

  NZ intercepts pirate tooth-fish long-liner “Carmela” in the Ross Sea

  

  An Illegal fishing vessel was detected by a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P3K Orion in the Ross Sea on Wednesday during a routine fisheries patrol.

• Friday, December 18th 2009 - 11:40 UTC

  Scaring Japanese whalers with an eerie intimidating Maori chant

  

  An international conservation society is using a small, space-age-like vessel to scare off whaling fleets from Antarctic waters, with a ghostly tune as its main weapon. The Ady Gil, a 24 metre carbon-fibre wave-piercing trimaran that runs on low-emission, renewable fuels, is the latest addition to the Sea Shepherd Conversation Society's protest fleet against Japan's yearly whale hunt near Antarctica, which is set to begin.

• Wednesday, December 16th 2009 - 23:09 UTC

  EU fishing fleets agree to cut catches of cod, haddock and sole

  

  The EU says European fishing fleets will have to cut their catches of cod, haddock and sole next year, but a ban on anchovy fishing has been lifted. The quota for cod fishing is being cut by 15-35%, depending on the area. But there is an exemption for cod fishing in West Scotland and the Celtic Sea.

• Tuesday, December 15th 2009 - 07:51 UTC

  Argentina: TAC for southern blue whiting, hoki and Patagaonian toothfish

  

  Argentina’s Federal Fisheries Council, (CFP) has fixed the 2010 total allowable catch (TAC) for hoki (Macruronus magellanicus), Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) and southern blue whiting (Micromesistius australis) at 170,000, 2,500 and 60,000 tonnes, respectively.

• Tuesday, December 15th 2009 - 07:49 UTC

  FAO calls to limit trade of Atlantic Bluefin tuna and several shark species

  

  An advisory panel of independent experts convened by FAO has issued recommendations regarding six proposals to limit international trade in a number of commercially exploited aquatic animals under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

• Saturday, December 12th 2009 - 15:22 UTC

  Australia threatens Japan with international legal action over whaling

  

  Australia has threatened international legal action after the new Japanese Government declared there would be no change to its stance on whaling. Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said in Tokyo that he saw no need for a review of the Government's policy, disappointing those who thought it might break with the past.

• Saturday, December 12th 2009 - 14:57 UTC

  Four Korean fishing vessels burnt and lost in Montevideo in two months

  

  Between forty and fifty Asian crewmembers from two Korean flagged fishing vessels that caught fire Thursday night while docked in Montevideo, are being questioned by Uruguayan judicial authorities.

• Friday, December 11th 2009 - 17:34 UTC

  FAO report predicts “an ocean of change” for fishers and fish farmers

  

  Marine capture fisheries already facing multiple challenges due to overfishing, habitat loss and weak management are poorly positioned to cope with new problems stemming from climate change, a new FAO study suggests.

• Thursday, December 10th 2009 - 11:26 UTC

  Chilean officials and private sector divided over recovery of salmon exports

  

  Chilean officials expect sustained growth from the aquaculture sector with exports reaching 4 billion US dollars by 2015. Currently Chile’s main aquaculture export product is salmon with overseas sales in 2008 of 2.4 billion USD. The private sector however does not share the enthusiasm.

• Wednesday, December 2nd 2009 - 12:15 UTC

  MSC's toothfish certification proposal criticised

  

  Scientists and environmental groups criticised the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) last week for proposing the certification of Ross Sea Antarctic toothfish. The certification is being recommended by UK-based Moody Marine, the organisation chosen by Ross Sea fishers and accepted by the MSC.