Author: dave

25 september 2019, København – Som reaktion på dagens offentliggørelse af en længe ventet særrapport om klimaforandringer, hav og is (SROCC) fra FN’s Klimapanel har 52 europæiske NGO’er netop sendt et åbent brev til EU’s stats – og regeringsledere. Underskriverne er bl.a. Danmarks Naturfredningsforening, Danmarks Sportsfiskerforbund, Greenpeace og Our Fish. Organisationerne peger på den klare og videnskabeligt underbyggede sammenhæng mellem et sundt havmiljø og et sundt klima og opfordrer på det kraftigste EU’s ledere til at få sat fart på havbeskyttelse som led i kampen mod klimakrisen. [1,2].

“Gretha satte i mandags stærke ord på den frustration og de krav til handling, som hun og tusindvis af andre unge har til verdens lederes ved FN’s klimaforsamling. Vi vil gerne supplere de unges opråb ved at minde lederne om, at havbeskyttelse er et afgørende værktøj i forhold til at løse klimakrisen, og at værktøjet både er tilgængeligt og realistisk at gøre brug af allerede nu, siger Berit Asmussen, kampagneansvarlig i Our Fish i Danmark.

“Havet giver os hvert andet åndedrag og beskytter os ved at opsuge en stor del af den menneskeskabte CO2, men det fungerer ikke optimalt, hvis vi ikke passer på det. Selvom havet kan virke som en endeløs kilde til mad og glæde, så har det naturligvis også sine begrænsninger, og vi er godt i gang med at forskubbe balancen og sætte det gode forhold mellem menneske og hav over styr”, fortsætter hun.

I brevet står der bl.a:

“Havet spiller en afgørende rolle for menneskets og planetens velbefindende. Det fungerer som en buffer mod de værste konsekvenser af klimakrisen, genererer ilt og tilvejebringer livsvigtige ressourcer til glæde for mennesker over hele verden. Havet beskytter os alle… 

Klimakrisen er ikke begrænset til landjorden. Meget kan og skal gøres for at beskytte havet, som er det største habitat på jorden, så havet fortsat er istand til at beskytte os. Vi må straks styrke havets mulighed for at overleve klimakrisen ved at fjerne de stressfaktorer, som vi rent faktisk kan fjerne”

Brevet beder EU’s ledere om at:

• Stoppe overfiskeri og ulovligt fiskeri. Alle EU Institutioner og medlemslande skal implementere og håndhæve den Fælles Fiskeripolitiks deadline for stop af overfiskeri i 2020.
• Sikre en robust FN-havtraktat for verdenshavene inden udgangen af 2020.

• Beskytte mindst 30% af havet via implementering af fuldt beskyttede områder til havs inden udgangen af 2030. Samtidig skal de resterende 70 % forvaltes bæredygtigt.
• Beskytte dybhavet, ved at stoppe minedriften her.

Rapporten fra IPCC bekræfter det, som forskere og NGO’er har sagt i årevis: Havet lider voldsom overlast som følge af en række stressfaktorer såsom overfiskeri, forurening og konsekvenserne af klimaforandringerne.

Et stop for overfiskeri, kombineret med oprettelse af sammenhængende beskyttede områder til havs, er afgørende tiltag, der også har effekt ift. afhjælpning af klimakrisen. Sunde havmiljøer betyder øget biodiversitet samt forbedring af havets evne til opsuge menneskeskabt CO2 og varme [4]. Foranstaltninger, der forbedrer havmiljøet er oplagte og tilgængelige værktøjer for EU-ledernes tackling af klimakrisen.

“Et stop for overfiskeri ville effektivt fjerne et af de mest alvorlige problemer for havet og gøre det mere modstandsdygtigt over for klimaforandringerne. EU har lige nu muligheden for at levere en grøn aftale, der virkelig batter bl.a. ved at få stoppet overfiskeri ved de kommende kvoteforhandlinger i oktober og december”, siger Berit Asmussen.

Mere information  her www.climateocean.com

ENDS

Kontakter:

Berit Asmussen, kampagneansvarlig, Our Fish i Danmark, berit@our.fish, 40 41 66 48

Christina Koll, kommunikationsansvarlig, Our Fish, Danmark, christina@our.fish, ‭ 28 10 90 21‬

Dave Walsh, kommunikationsrådgiver, Our Fish +34 691 826 764 or email dave@our.fish: for interview med forsker Dr Rashid Sumaila, University of British Columbia

Noter:

[1] Særrapport om klimaforandringer, hav og is (SROCC) fra FN’s Klimapanel (IPCC), 25. september, 2019. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/srocc/

[2] Brevet er sendt til Ursula von der Leyen, President-elect of the European Commission; Charles Michel, President-elect of the European Council; David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament; and Prime Ministers and Presidents of Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden. Link til brevet: https://www.climateocean.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/50_NGOs_Open_Letter_EU_Presidents.pdf

[3] Brevet er underskrevet af: 350 Klimabevægelsen i Danmark, An Taisce – The National Trust for Ireland, Blue Marine Foundation, CASA, ClientEarth, CoastWatch, Cork Nature Network, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, Deepwave, Depana, Danmarks Naturfredningsforening, Danmarks Sportsfiskerforbund, Deutscher Naturschutzring, Deutsche Umwelthilfe, Ecologistas in Acción, Environmental Justice Foundation, Fauna & Flora International, FishAct, Fishlove,  Fish for Tomorrow, Fisheries Secretariat, France Nature Environnement, Friends of the Earth Malta, Fundació ENT, Funding Fish, GEOTA, Global Fishing Watch, Greenpeace, Institute of Fisheries Management, Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, Irish Wildlife Trust, Living Sea Denmark, MedReAct, MEER, New Economics Foundation, Nyt Europa, Oma, Our Fish, Pechetique, Plataforma para la Defensa del Litoral del Sureste de Gran Canaria, Schutzstation Wattenmeer, Sciaena, Sea First, Seas at Risk, Submon, Suomen luonnonsuojeluliitto (Finnish Association for Nature Conservation), Sustainable Fish Cities, SWAN – Sustainable Water Network, WeMove.eu, Whale & Dolphin Conservation and Zoological Society of London.

[4] Ending Overfishing Is Opportunity to Combat Climate Crisis – rapport:

https://our.fish/press/ending-overfishing-is-opportunity-to-combat-climate-crisis-report/

Ending Overfishing Can Mitigate Impacts of Climate Change, Dr Rashid Sumaila and Dr Travis Tai, University of British Columbia, September 2019

https://our.fish/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2019-05-Sumaila_Ending_overfishing_can_mitigate_Impacts_of_climate_change.pdf

Brussels, September 25, 2019:- As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC) launches today in Monaco, 52 non-governmental organisations have written to European leaders calling on them to show leadership by acting to protect the ocean, as well as urgently cutting CO2 emissions, in the face of climate breakdown [1,2].

The letter states:

“The ocean plays a critical role in human health and the health of the planet. It buffers us against the worst impacts of climate breakdown, generates the oxygen we breathe, and provides sustenance and livelihoods for people across the world. The ocean protects and provides for us all… 

The climate crisis is not limited to land. There is much that can and must be done to protect the ocean, the largest habitat on Earth, so that it can continue to protect us. We urgently need to boost the ocean’s chances of survival in the face of climate breakdown by removing the stressors that are within our reach.”

The letters call on EU leaders to:

• End overfishing and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. All EU Institutions and member states must implement and enforce in full the Common Fisheries Policy, specifically the deadline to end overfishing by 2020.

• Put in place a robust High Seas Treaty by the end of 2020.

• Protect at least thirty percent of the ocean through implemented, highly and fully Protected Areas by the end of 2030, with the remaining 70 percent of the ocean sustainably managed.
• Protect the deep ocean, through a precautionary pause on deep-sea mining.

The IPCC special report conveys what marine scientists and NGOs have been saying for years: that the ocean is crumbling under an onslaught of needless stressors from overfishing to pollution, compounded by climate breakdown.

Ending overfishing and protecting marine areas are essential climate actions that will protect habitats and biodiversity, replenish fish populations and marine food webs, improve the cycling and sequestering of carbon, and build ocean resilience to withstand dangerous climate change [4]. Taking these actions is an opportunity for EU leaders to demonstrate their commitment to restoring the planet’s greatest source of life, and key to delivering a new European Green Deal that protects nature and communities.

“The ocean cannot infinitely support our current way of life if we keep piling on pressure while demanding that it produce the oxygen we breathe, feed us, and absorb excess heat and CO2. Even the great ocean has limits and we’re currently pushing far beyond them. Ending overfishing will alleviate one of the biggest stresses on the ocean, by increasing its resilience in the face of climate breakdown. The EU can deliver a stronger new Green Deal for Europeans by taking immediate decisive action to end all overfishing in response to the climate emergency,” said Rebecca Hubbard, Program Director of Our Fish.

Sofia Tsenikli, Senior Strategist at Greenpeace International said: ”It’s clear the climate crisis is also an ocean crisis. The EU and its member states must take decisive steps to ditch fossil fuels and submit plans to stay below 1.5℃ by next year. They must also push for a strong Global Ocean Treaty in 2020 that establishes and protects a global network of ocean sanctuaries, completely off-limits to human exploitation. If done right, this could lead to the protection of at least 30% of our oceans by 2030.”

Monica Verbeek, Executive Director at Seas At Risk said: “The ocean’s living creatures are an excellent carbon sponge. If the ocean is thriving with diverse life it is better placed to cope with the inevitable harsh attacks coming from the climate crisis. To restore the health of our ocean, we need to reduce the pressure of human activities and at the same time provide marine life with fully protected safe havens where it can recover. The IPCC report is a strong reminder of the urgency to implement the EU Marine Directive, that commits Member States to restore the health of EU seas by 2020.”

“The deep sea plays a major role in climate change mitigation through capturing and storing CO2. By absorbing accumulated heat, the deep sea slows the warming on land. Yet this realm is highly vulnerable,” said Sian Owen, Coordinator for the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition. “Deep-sea mining will cause effectively permanent biodiversity loss and generate plumes, toxins, light and noise that could impact marine life far beyond actual mining sites. European Parliament adopted a resolution in 2018, calling for a moratorium on deep-sea mining until the environmental risks are fully understood. The EU must take this commitment seriously.”

For more information, visit www.climateocean.com

ENDS

Contacts:

Dave Walsh, Communications Advisor, Our Fish +34 691 826 764 or email dave@our.fish

Sara Tironi, Communications Officer at Seas At Risk, + 32 483 457 483, email: stironi@seas-at-risk.org

Sian Owen, Coordinator, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, +31-648 502 659, email: sian@savethehighseas.org

Patrick Fuller, press officer, Greenpeace UK: Patrick.fuller@greenpeace.org +44 7377730878 (onsite in Monaco)

Notes:

[1] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC), September 25, 2019. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/srocc/

[2] The letter has been sent to Ursula von der Leyen, President-elect of the European Commission; Charles Michel, President-elect of the European Council; David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament; and Prime Ministers and Presidents of Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.

The letter: https://our.fish/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/50_NGOs_Open_Letter_EU_Presidents.pdf

[3] The letter was signed by 52 NGOS: 350 Klimabevægelsen i Danmark, An Taisce – The National Trust for Ireland, Blue Marine Foundation, CASA – Clean Adriatic Sea Alliance, ClientEarth, CoastWatch, Cork Nature Network, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, Deepwave, Depana, Danmarks Naturfredningsforening, Danmarks Sportsfiskerforbund, Deutscher Naturschutzring, Deutsche Umwelthilfe, Ecologistas in Acción, Environmental Justice Foundation, Fauna & Flora International, FishAct, Fishlove, Fish for Tomorrow, Fisheries Secretariat, France Nature Environnement, Friends of the Earth Malta, Fundació ENT, Funding Fish, GEOTA, Global Fishing Watch, Greenpeace, Institute of Fisheries Management, Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, Irish Wildlife Trust, Living Sea Denmark, MedReAct, MEER, New Economics Foundation, Nyt Europa, Oma, Our Fish, Pechetique, Plataforma para la Defensa del Litoral del Sureste de Gran Canaria, Schutzstation Wattenmeer, Sciaena, Sea First, Seas at Risk, Submon, Suomen luonnonsuojeluliitto (Finnish Association for Nature Conservation), Sustainable Fish Cities, SWAN – Sustainable Water Network, WeMove.eu, Whale & Dolphin Conservation and Zoological Society of London.

[4] Ending Overfishing Is Opportunity to Combat Climate Crisis – Report

https://our.fish/press/ending-overfishing-is-opportunity-to-combat-climate-crisis-report/

Ending Overfishing Can Mitigate Impacts of Climate Change, Dr Rashid Sumaila and Dr Travis Tai, University of British Columbia, September 2019

https://our.fish/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2019-05-Sumaila_Ending_overfishing_can_mitigate_Impacts_of_climate_change.pdf

VoxEurope, 2 September 2019:

The North Sea is no exception to the overfishing spree across Europe. As discussions are ongoing between Norway and the EU, scientists issue their latest warning on collapsing cod stocks.

The conflict between the urge to relentlessly plunder the sea for instant profits and the need to conserve fish as a healthy food source and a diverse ecosystem for future generations is coming to a head off the coast of northern Europe. Scientists have just launched their latest warning: cod, a favorite species in high demand by seafood lovers, should spend much more time at sea than it spends in restaurants to avoid collapsing.

Now it’s up to the EU and its main fishing partner, Norway, to seize their last chance to comply with their commitment to end overfishing by 2020. This target, set by the EU in its Common Fishery Policy, and agreed to by Norway and the EU globally through the International Convention on Biological Diversity, is far from being met.

…

“In 2019 the EU and Norway agreed to a cut of around 30 percent to the TAC, while the science recommended that it should have been around a 50 percent cut,” said Rebecca Hubbard, Programme Director at Our Fish, which campaigns for an end to overfishing in European waters. “So, the new advice implies a worsening of an already bad situation that governments chose to ignore last year, and the gamble has not paid off.”

Continue reading: VoxEurope: Ending Overfishing in Northern Europe: A fishy game

By Aaron Orlowski, Seafood Source, September 5 2019:

A new report commissioned by the advocacy group Our Fish suggests that ending overfishing will help the oceans weather the effects of climate change.

Overfishing is weakening the oceans’ ability to adapt, the report argues. Healthier oceans will better withstand the disturbances wrought be climate change.

“If you have a system that is already on its knees and then you have another pressure that is hitting it, like climate change or overfishing, that will make the stock less resilient,” Rashid Sumaila, a professor at the University of British Columbia’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries and lead author of the report, said during a webinar on 2 September organized by Our Fish. “If you are very healthy, you have more ability to withstand the stress.”

Continue Reading on Seafood Source

Amsterdam, 2 september 2019 –  Overbevissing maakt oceanen extra kwetsbaar voor klimaatverandering. Het beëindigen van de overbevissing draagt bij aan het weerbaar maken van de oceanen tegen klimaatverandering. Dat is de belangrijkste conclusies uit een vandaag gepubliceerd rapport.  Volgens Our Fish is dit een extra reden voor Europese overheden om eindelijk aan hun wettelijke verplichting te voldoen en overbevissing dit jaar nog te beëindigen. Ook in de Nederlandse Noordzee kunnen hier nog de nodige stappen voor gemaakt worden.

Twee onderzoekers van de Universiteit van British Columbia –  Dr Rashid Sumaila en Dr Travis Tai – concluderen in het rapport, ‘Ending Overfishing Can Mitigate Impacts of Climate Change’ dat overbevissing en klimaatverandering geen afzonderlijke problemen zijn. Beide problemen een bedreiging zijn voor de gezondheid van de oceanen en hangen met elkaar samen. Het beëindigen van overbevissing zorgt er voor dat het bedreigde zeeleven zich kan herstellen en het maakt de oceanen meer weerbaar voor de effecten van klimaatverandering.

“Een gezond persoon heeft een hogere kans om te overleven in een epidemie dan een persoon die minder gezond is. Door overbevissing hebben we het immuunsysteem van de oceanen ernstig verzwakt” aldus Dr Sumaila. Dr Sumaila is deze week in Brussel om het rapport aan Europese beleidsmakers te presenteren en hen te informeren over de manier waarop het beëindigen van overbevissing in Europese wateren kan bijdragen aan de Europese verplichting tot het nemen van klimaatmaatregelen.

Dr Sumaila houdt vandaag een webinar over klimaatactie en overbevissing, om 15:00 CEST. Als u die webinar wilt volgen kunt u zich via deze link registeren.

“Dit onderzoek laat zien dat Europese ministers de verplichting moet nakomen om dit jaar nog een einde te maken aan overbevissing”, aldus Frederieke Vlek, campagne coördinator van Our Fish in Nederland, die dit onderzoek hebben laten uitvoeren. Recente schattingen suggereren dat ten minste 40% van de visbestanden in de Noord Oost Atlantische Oceaan en 87% in de Middellandse Zee en Zwarte Zee op dit moment niet duurzaam worden bevist. Ook in de Nederlandse Noordzee hebben we nog een eind te gaan. Zogenaamde rondvis als kabeljauw en zeebaars bleek dit jaar volgens het laatste wetenschappelijke advies zwaar overbevist. Voor kabeljauw wordt zelfs een vangstreductie van 70% geadviseerd.

__________________________________________________________________________

 

Meer informatie:

Frederieke Vlek, Campagne coordinator Our Fish Nederland, , +31625031004 frederieke@our.fish

Voor een interview met Dr Sumaila (van 2 tot 4 september) kunt u contact opnemen met Dave Walsh, Communications Advisor, Our Fish, dave@our.fish, +34691826764

 

Dr Rashid Sumaila

Dr. Ussif Rashid Sumaila is Professor en directeur van de Fisheries Economics Research Unit aan ‘UBC’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries’. Hij is gespecialiseerd in bioeconomics, marine ecosystem valuation en de analyse van wereldwijde issues zoals visserij subsidies, IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) visserij en de economie van de highseas en diepzee visserijen. Meer informatie: http://oceans.ubc.ca/rashid-sumaila/

 

Dr Travis Tai

Travis Tai bekleedt een nieuwe Ph.D positie aan ‘UBC’s Institure for the Oceans and Fisheries’. OCeaan verzuring bedreigt het ecosysteem en de organismen in het marine ecosysteem waar we afhankelijk van zijn: Meer informatie: http://oceans.ubc.ca/person/travis-tai

 

Over Our fish

Our Fish is een Europese NGO die in verschillende lidtstaten werkt aan de implementatie van het gemeenschappelijke visserijbeleid in Europese wateren.  Our Fish is ook actief in Nederland.

Website: https://our.fish
Volg Our Fish op Twitter: @our_fish

Updates:
Video from webinar:

Powerpoint from webinar: Ending overfishing can mitigate impacts of climate change

Press release:

Brussels, September 2nd, 2019:- Ending overfishing would not only secure vital fish populations for the future, but constitutes a significant climate emergency action, according to a report published today. According to Our Fish, the report’s findings offer EU governments a realistic opportunity to deliver immediate and effective action on dangerous climate change, as well as meeting their legal obligations to finally quit overfishing.

The working paper, Ending Overfishing Can Mitigate Impacts of Climate Change, by Dr Rashid Sumaila and Dr Travis Tai of the University of British Columbia, finds that “overfishing and climate change are not mutually exclusive problems to be addressed separately,” as both are severely impacting ocean health, and putting marine ecosystems and the goods and services they provide to communities at risk. Ending overfishing would give the ocean respite from human pressure, making it more resilient to the effects of the climate crisis, while helping to restore critically valuable marine ecosystems, says the paper [1].

“A healthy person is more likely to survive an epidemic than a person who is less healthy, and because of overfishing we have severely weakened the ocean’s immune system” said Dr Sumaila. “Ending overfishing now would strengthen the ocean, making it more capable of withstanding climate change and restoring marine ecosystems”. Dr Sumaila is in Brussels this week to brief EU policymakers on how ending overfishing in EU waters supports EU commitments to taking climate action.

Dr Sumaila will also host a webinar on climate action and overfishing today, September 2nd, at 1500 CET. To join him, please register here.

The working paper finds that:

1. Overfishing and climate change are two of the biggest stressors on ocean health, including to marine ecosystems, biodiversity and fisheries;
2. Recent estimates suggest that at least 40% of fish stocks in the North East Atlantic and 87% in the Mediterranean and Black Seas  are currently subject to unsustainable fishing practices, including stocks that are overfished or exploited at an unsustainable rate [2];
3. The onset of rapid climate-related changes in marine ecosystems will increase pressure on fish populations, with the potential of extinction for some species;
4. Decisive action is critical to ensure the long-term sustainability of marine ecosystems and fisheries;
5. Due to the current inefficiencies that result in catching more fish than nature can generate, improvements in fisheries management to achieve MSY would not only increase long-term catch, but actually offset some of the negative effects of climate change on catches;
6. Implementation of strategies to increase resilience has been found to help with recovery from extreme climate impacts; overfishing and climate change are not mutually exclusive problems to be addressed separately, and holistic comprehensive solutions must be found to address these two global challenges.

“In light of the aspirations of the EU and its member states for taking climate action, this paper makes clear that the first thing that EU decision makers must do is to end overfishing – and do so this year. Not only is ending overfishing by 2020 a legal obligation under the Common Fisheries Policy, and imperative for the future of EU fisheries and 250,000 jobs that depend on them, it will strengthen the ocean in the face of dangerous climate change,” said Rebecca Hubbard, Programme Director of the Our Fish campaign, which commissioned the paper [3].

“The ocean generates more than half the oxygen we breathe, and buffers us against the worst impacts of dangerous climate change, but overfishing undermines its capacity to perform these critical jobs. The EU can deliver a stronger new Green Deal for Europeans by making the Green Deal Blue, and taking decisive action to end all overfishing  in response to the climate emergency”.

ENDS

Attention: Brussels & international media: 

Dr Sumaila will be in Brussels this week, and is available for interview on September 2nd, 3rd and 4th.

Contact: For more details, call Dave Walsh on +34 691 826 764 or email dave@our.fish

 

 

Notes:

[1] Ending Overfishing Can Mitigate Impacts of Climate Change, Dr Rashid Sumaila and Dr Travis Tai

https://our.fish/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2019-05-Sumaila_Ending_overfishing_can_mitigate_Impacts_of_climate_change.pdf

[2] Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) – Monitoring the performance of the Common Fisheries Policy (STECF-Adhoc-19-01). Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2019.

https://stecf.jrc.ec.europa.eu/documents/43805/55543/STECF+19-01+adhoc+-+CFP+monitoring.pdf/534ac27c-d0b7-446f-96d0-9a8a1ec68a6c

[3] In the EU, some 250,000 people are employed, directly and indirectly in marine fisheries-related industries, including fishing, aquaculture and processing. Facts and figures on the common fisheries policy, 2018 https://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/sites/fisheries/files/docs/body/pcp_en.pdf

https://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/facts_figures_en?qt-facts_and_figures=3

 

 

Dr Rashid Sumaila

Dr. Ussif Rashid Sumaila is Professor and Director of the Fisheries Economics Research Unit at UBC’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries. He specializes in bioeconomics, marine ecosystem valuation and the analysis of global issues such as fisheries subsidies, IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) fishing and the economics of high and deep seas fisheries. Sumaila has experience working in fisheries and natural resource projects in Norway, Canada and the North Atlantic region, Namibia and the Southern African region, Ghana and the West African region and Hong Kong and the South China Sea. He has published articles in several journals including, Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Journal of Bioeconomics, Land Economics, ICES Journal of Marine Science, Environmental and Resource Economics and Ecological Economics. Sumaila’s work has generated a great deal of interest, and has been cited by, among others, the Economist, the Boston Globe, the International Herald Tribune, and the Vancouver Sun. More information: http://oceans.ubc.ca/rashid-sumaila/

 

Dr Travis Tai

Travis Tai is a newly minted Ph.D from UBC’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries. Ocean acidification impacts threaten the marine ecosystem goods and services we depend upon. Travis’ research focuses on predicting the impacts of ocean acidification and climate change on the future of Canadian and global fisheries. By using methods specifically suited to address different spatial scales, his research seek to provide informative data to mitigate and adapt to these impacts.More info: https://oceans.ubc.ca/person/travis-tai/

 

About Our Fish

Our Fish works to ensure European member states implement the Common Fisheries Policy and achieve sustainable fish stocks in European waters.

Our Fish works with organisations and individuals across Europe to deliver a powerful and unwavering message: overfishing must be stopped, and solutions put in place that ensure Europe’s waters are fished sustainably. Our Fish demands that the Common Fisheries Policy be properly enforced, and Europe’s fisheries effectively governed.

Our Fish calls on all EU Member States to set annual fishing limits at sustainable limits based on scientific advice, and to ensure that their fishing fleets prove that they are fishing sustainably, through monitoring and full documentation of their catch.

Website: https://our.fish

Follow Our Fish on Twitter: @our_fish

 

30 August 2019: Environmental NGOs Seas At Risk, Our Fish and Oceana are deeply disappointed that today’s Commission proposal for fishing limits in the Baltic allows for the continuation of  overfishing in 2020, even though there is a legal deadline to end overfishing by 2020 under the EU Common Fisheries Policy. The Commission’s proposal includes fishing limits that exceed scientific advice for the iconic western Baltic herring and  main basin Baltic salmon. It also  leaves a gaping loophole for over-exploitation of the threatened eastern Baltic cod.

Overfishing is a serious problem in the Baltic, the European Union and worldwide. It not only depletes fish stocks, disrupts marine food webs, and massively increases pressure on the fragile balance of marine ecosystems, but also affects the food and employment security of millions of Europeans. Currently 69% of the fish stocks are overfished in EU waters, and 50% in the Baltic. Despite the clear fail for certain stocks, the Commission has followed scientific advice for the majority of cases (6 out of 10), which NGOs welcome.

“In light of the collapse of eastern Baltic cod, and the 2020 deadline, it is incredible  that the Commission still allows for overfishing in 2020, disregarding  the scientific advice for Western Baltic Herring. With accumulating scientific evidence of a climate and biodiversity crisis in our seas, this is not the time for the Commission, the guardian of the EU Treaty, to delay urgently needed and EU-wide agreed action. We recognize the efforts made following scientific advice for a majority of fish stocks, however this year the legislation is clear: all harvested stocks must be fished at sustainable levels, there is no room for loose ends.” Rebecca Hubbard, Our Fish Program Director, said.

“The Commission’s proposal should not only mandate sustainable fishing limits, but aim to deliver healthy fish populations by 2020, as demanded by EU regulations. Instead they have failed to propose the rapid action that is needed to lift the Baltic Sea out of the full scale ecological crisis it is experiencing. While the Commission has proposed zero targeted fishing on eastern Baltic cod, known loopholes related to trawl fishing mean that this is not enough. EU Member States, will need to build on this proposal and take a range of other measures urgently in order to save the cod.” Andrzej Białaś, Policy Advisor, Oceana Europe said.

“Fisheries Ministers will have the last word to uphold the good ambition shown by the Commission for some stocks, or show responsibility by following scientific advice for others like the western Baltic herring and the Main Basin Salmon. From 1 January, overfishing will be illegal in the EU waters, and Ministers need to act accordingly.” said Andrea Ripol, Fisheries Policy Officer of Seas At Risk.

The 2020 fishing quotas for the Baltic proposed by the European Commission today, will be decided at the AGRIFISH Council of Fisheries Ministers on 14 and 15 October in Luxembourg.  This will be the last chance for the EU to end overfishing in the region by 2020.  

For more information:

 

Dave Walsh, Communications Advisor, Our Fish, dave@our.fish, +34 691 82 67 64

Andrea Ripol, Fisheries Policy Officer, Seas At Risk, aripol@seas-at-risk.org  +32 486 16 83 96

Andrzej Białaś, Policy Advisor, Oceana Europe

abialas@oceana.org, +48 501 58 88 33 

 

NOTES TO THE EDITORS

Common Fisheries Policy: 

The reformed Common Fisheries Policy includes the fundamental objective to progressively restore and maintain fish stocks above sustainable levels, specifically above levels capable of producing the maximum sustainable yield. The legislation also states that this objective shall be achieved by 2015 or progressively by 2020 at the latest for all stocks. Moreover, the Common Fisheries Policy mentions  that measures should be taken in accordance with the best available scientific advice. (Article 3(c) of the CFP Basic Regulation).

Eastern Baltic cod: 

ICES has advised zero catch and the Commission had to put in place emergency measures in an attempt to stop the stock from an unrecoverable crash. We welcome the Commission proposal to continue the closure of all directed cod fishing and the proposed continuation of a spawning closure. However, Ministers need to ensure that demersal trawlers do not endanger any prospect of a recovery by a massive bycatch of eastern Baltic cod when trawling for flatfish such as flounder and plaice.

Western Baltic herring: 

For the second year in a row the ICES advice is a zero catch. Last year the Commission and Council ignored that advice. The Commission has ignored that scientific advice again, instead supporting a political short-sighted argument that immediate social-economic issues should take precedence over the recovery of the fishery. Studies have shown that if EU fisheries were sustainably managed, we would see significant socio-economic benefits in the form of increased revenues, GDP growth and added jobs in both fisheries and connected sectors, so there is no reason for the Commission and Council to ignore the scientific advice for sustainable limits. 

The warning signals from ICES are clear e.g. “Recruitment has been low since the mid-2000s and at a historic low for the last four years.” We cannot negotiate nature’s limits.  

Baltic salmon (Main Basin): The scientific advice for the salmon is very clear stating a commercial wanted catch of a total of 58 900 salmon. The Commission has proposed 86,575 salmons and we do not accept this proposal since it is not in line with EU regulations and scientific advice.

Weblinks:

Commission Proposal for Baltic Sea fishing Total Allowable Catches

https://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/press/baltic-sea-commission-proposal-aims-improve-long-term-sustainability-stocks_en

NGOs recommendations on Baltic fishing opportunities for 2020 are available at: https://www.fishsec.org/2019/06/10/joint-ngo-recommendations-on-baltic-sea-fishing-opportunities-for-2020/

COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2019/1248 of 22 July 2019 establishing measures to alleviate a serious threat to the conservation of the eastern Baltic cod (Gadus morhua) stock 

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32019R1248&from=DE

Web link to EU press release re eastern Baltic cod emergency measures

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-19-4149_en.htm

ICES advice on western Baltic Herring Published 29 May 2019 http://ices.dk/sites/pub/Publication%20Reports/Advice/2019/2019/her.27.20-24.pdf

ICES advice on Atlantic salmon in the Baltic Sea, excluding the Gulf of Finland http://ices.dk/sites/pub/Publication%20Reports/Advice/2019/2019/sal.27.22-31.pdf

 

 

Updates 2nd September 2019:

Working Paper: Ending Overfishing Can Mitigate Impacts of Climate Change

Press release: Ending Overfishing Is Opportunity to Combat Climate Crisis – Report

Powerpoint from webinar: Ending overfishing can mitigate impacts of climate change

---

When? Monday September 2nd 2019, 1500 -1600 Central European Time, 1400 UK/Ireland

What’s it about? Our Fish presents Dr. Ussif Rashid Sumaila, Professor and Director of the Fisheries Economics Research Unit at the University of British Columbia Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, for a 1-hour webinar that will explore how ending overfishing is climate action and a way to reverse biodiversity loss and build ocean resilience.

The webinar will mark the publication of a Working Paper, Ending Overfishing Can Mitigate Impacts of Climate Change, co-authored by Dr Sumaila, and commissioned by Our Fish.

The webinar is a scientific listening event where Dr. Sumaila presents preliminary findings and obtains feedback from participants, which will be used to revise the paper before final publication.

How do I take part? Easy, you can register here – and you’ll receive reminders of the webinar as the date grows closer.

Webinar details:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7136423500944082189

Webinar ID: 843-246-819

Need to call in  by phone?

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/audio/7136423500944082189

Dr Rashid Sumaila

Dr. Ussif Rashid Sumaila is Professor and Director of the Fisheries Economics Research Unit at UBC’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries. He specializes in bioeconomics, marine ecosystem valuation and the analysis of global issues such as fisheries subsidies, IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) fishing and the economics of high and deep seas fisheries. Sumaila has experience working in fisheries and natural resource projects in Norway, Canada and the North Atlantic region, Namibia and the Southern African region, Ghana and the West African region and Hong Kong and the South China Sea. He has published articles in several journals including, Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Journal of Bioeconomics, Land Economics, ICES Journal of Marine Science, Environmental and Resource Economics and Ecological Economics. Sumaila’s work has generated a great deal of interest, and has been cited by, among others, the Economist, the Boston Globe, the International Herald Tribune, and the Vancouver Sun. More information: http://oceans.ubc.ca/rashid-sumaila/
About Our Fish

Our Fish works to ensure European member states implement the Common Fisheries Policy and achieve sustainable fish populations in European waters.

Our Fish works with organisations and individuals across Europe to deliver a powerful and unwavering message: overfishing must be stopped, and solutions put in place that ensure Europe’s waters are fished sustainably. Our Fish demands that the Common Fisheries Policy be properly enforced, and Europe’s fisheries effectively governed.

Our Fish calls on all EU Member States to set annual fishing limits at sustainable limits based on scientific advice, and to ensure that their fishing fleets prove that they are fishing sustainably, through monitoring and full documentation of their catch.

Website: https://our.fish

Follow Our Fish on Twitter: @our_fish
Photo: University of British Columbia

A wake-up call for EU fisheries ministers Opinion, The Parliament, 31 July 2019