
The presence of the lipophilic toxin in the Galician estuaries, (northwest Spain) has caused the closure of almost all Galician mussel polygons and forced the closure of activities in the local canning industry. The red tide is currently blocking 90% of the rafts production, since only two polygons located in Betanzos and four in Redondela are open, reported Atlantico news.

The House of Representatives approved this week a draft agreement to ban trawling in Chile. With 55 votes in support, six against and five abstentions, the deputies voted in favor of the Draft Resolution No. 100, which requests the Executive to submit a legislative initiative to amend Article 49 of Act No. 18,892 in order to ban fish catching by trawling.

The Xunta of Galicia in the northwest of Spain banned the extraction of mussels in 18 of the 55 floating nurseries of the autonomous region, that is to say, in 32% of the total capacity because of the presence of lipophilic biotoxin.

The head of the Ministry of Food and Environment (Magrama), Miguel Arias Cañete, highlighted the ”excellent results achieved by Spain in negotiating total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas for 2014.”

The European Commission (EC) has decided to sanction Spain and nine other Member States for exceeding their fishing quotas during the past financial year, and reduce their fishing opportunities for 2014. This measure is intended to repair the damage caused to resources and in this way ensure the sustainable capture of resources.

Uruguay's largest fishing and processing company FRIPUR, has requested administrative protection, or a voluntary concordat with creditors following financial problems with banks and other providers. Liabilities are over 70 million dollars of which 50 million with two banks, according to sources close to the request. The company employs 1.100 people.

Uruguay fisheries exports during the first half of the year reached 33.921 tons, which represent a 13.2% increase over the same period a year ago, while in money terms sales totaled 76.6 million dollars, up 17.7%, according to the latest release from Aquatic Resources National Office, DINARA, published in the official government portal.

Globally, an albatross dies on a fishing hook every 5 seconds. Since working with Falklands Conservation from 1996-2005, biologist Becky Ingham has wanted to help prevent the decline of these iconic birds. The Hookpod is a clever new invention that catches fish, not birds and here Becky tells us how ot works.

Chile's accumulated fisheries landings during the first five months of the year totaled 1.6 million tons, up 24% from the five months of 2013, when 1.3 million tons were landed.

The Chilean government insists that it has a single position on the jumbo flying squid fisheries management controversy currently exposed to a conflict of interests: 80% of the catch for the artisanal sector and 20% for industry.