Month: November 2017

  • FIS: Baltic illegal discarding worsens despite landing obligation

    FIS: Baltic illegal discarding worsens despite landing obligation

    Via FIS, 17 November 2017: Baltic illegal discarding worsens despite landing obligation

    Compliance with the reformed Common Fisheries Policy’s Landing Obligation is almost non-existent in the Baltic Sea, exposing the European seafood supply chain to unprecedented levels of illegal behaviour, a new report warns.

    The document, titled Thrown Away: How Illegal Discarding in the Baltic Sea is Failing EU Fisheries and Citizens and published by campaign group Our Fish, urges EU Member States to immediately act on implementation of proven monitoring and enforcement programs in order to end illegal and wasteful discarding.

    The analysis finds EU government responses to the Landing Obligation have in some cases made discarding worse while clear advice on effective tools to monitor and control the law is being ignored.

    Continue Reading…

  • Baltic Course: New report exposes how illegal discarding of Baltic fish fails EU citizens

    Baltic Course: New report exposes how illegal discarding of Baltic fish fails EU citizens

    Published by the Baltic Course, 16 November 2017: New report exposes how illegal discarding of Baltic fish fails EU citizens

    A report published yesterday on the discarding of Baltic fish reveals that compliance with the reformed Common Fisheries Policy’s Landing Obligation is almost non-existent in the Baltic Sea, exposing the European seafood supply chain to unprecedented levels of illegal behaviour.

    171116_riba_fish_brosen.jpg

    The report urges EU Member States to immediately act on implementation of proven monitoring and enforcement programs in order to end illegal and wasteful discarding.

    Read more

  • POLITICO Pro Morning Agri and Food: Study Critical of Baltic Sea Fishing

    POLITICO Pro Morning Agri and Food: Study Critical of Baltic Sea Fishing

    From the Politico Pro Morning Agri and Food newsletter, published on 16th November 2017:

    STUDY CRITICAL OF BALTIC SEA FISHING: A new report says EU countries on the Baltic Sea are failing to accurately monitor their fishing vessels in regards to the landing obligation, according to a statement on Wednesday. Commissioned by environmental group Our Fish, the report says that 90 percent of undersized cod are still being discarded in the region, amounting to 11.5 million fish in 2016. Under EU law, fishermen are required to bring all of their catches ashore in the Baltic Sea. Our Fish calls on EU countries to strengthen their monitoring and enforcement of fishing legislation.

  • Undercurrent News: NGO urges Baltic states to comply with EU landing obligation

    Undercurrent News: NGO urges Baltic states to comply with EU landing obligation

    Published on Undercurrent News, 15 November 2017: NGO urges Baltic states to comply with EU landing obligation

    Compliance with the EU common fisheries policy’s landing obligation is almost non-existent in the Baltic Sea, according to a new report from an NGO.

    The report urged EU states to immediately act on implementation of proven monitoring and enforcement programs, in order to end illegal and wasteful discarding.

    The report, titled “Thrown Away: How Illegal Discarding in the Baltic Sea is Failing EU Fisheries and Citizens” was produced by campaign group Our Fish.

    “By failing to properly implement the discard ban in the Baltic Sea, EU governments are jeopardizing the sustainability of fish stocks, undermining scientific advice, and perpetuating a waste of valuable resources. Not only does this limit the economic prosperity of the fishing industry, it exposes the EU seafood supply chain to unprecedented levels of illegal behavior,” Our Fish program director, Rebecca Hubbard, said.

    The report can be downloaded here.

  • Pan European Networks: Report: Baltic fish disposal is illegal

    Pan European Networks: Report: Baltic fish disposal is illegal

    Published on November 15th, 2017 by Pan European Networks: Report: Baltic fish disposal is illegal

    A report published today (15 November) on the discarding of Baltic fish reveals that compliance with the reformed Common Fisheries Policy’s Landing Obligation is almost non-existent in the Baltic Sea.

    The report, exposing the European seafood supply chain to unprecedented levels of illegal behaviour, also urges EU member states to immediately act on the implementation of proven monitoring and enforcement programmes in order to end illegal and wasteful discarding.

    The report, titled Thrown Away: How Illegal Discarding in the Baltic Sea is Failing EU Fisheries and Citizens, published by campaign group Our Fish, finds EU government responses to the Landing Obligation have in some cases made discarding worse, while clear advice on effective tools to monitor and control the law is being ignored.

    This situation is failing the almost 900,000 EU citizens who actively supported a ban on discards during the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy

    Our Fish programme director Rebecca Hubbard said: “EU citizens expect national governments and EU authorities to uphold the laws they have signed up to – yet fisheries ministers are not keeping their end of the bargain.

    “By failing to properly implement the discard ban in the Baltic Sea, EU governments are jeopardising the sustainability of fish stocks, undermining scientific advice, and perpetuating a waste of valuable resources. Not only does this limit the economic prosperity of the fishing industry, it exposes the EU seafood supply chain to unprecedented levels of illegal behaviour.”

    In 2018 and 2019, these illegal discard figures are set for another dramatic increase if monitoring and enforcement do not improve, the report adds.

    90% of undersized Baltic cod is still being discarded – in 2016 alone, some 11.5 million Baltic Sea cod were discarded illegally.

  • Intrafish: New report exposes ‘illegal’ discarding in Baltic Sea fisheries

    Intrafish: New report exposes ‘illegal’ discarding in Baltic Sea fisheries

    Published by Intrafish (Paywall) November 15th 2017: New report exposes ‘illegal’ discarding in Baltic Sea fisheries

    ‘By failing to properly implement the discard ban in the Baltic Sea, EU governments are jeopardizing the sustainability of fish stocks,’ campaigners say.
    A report published Wednesday on the discarding of Baltic fish reveals compliance with the reformed EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) landing obligation is almost “non- existent” in the Baltic Sea.
    Authors of the report titled ‘Thrown Away: How Illegal Discarding in the Baltic Sea is Failing EU Fisheries and Citizens’ claim this is “exposing the European seafood supply chain to unprecedented levels of illegal behavior.”

  • Nachhaltigkeit der Fischbestände gefährdet: Illegale Rückwürfe in der Ostsee schaden Fischerei und Bürgern

    Nachhaltigkeit der Fischbestände gefährdet: Illegale Rückwürfe in der Ostsee schaden Fischerei und Bürgern

    Berlin, 15.11.2017: Ein heute von der europäischen Initiative für eine nachhaltige Fischereipolitik „Our Fish“ veröffentlichter Bericht über illegale Rückwürfe von Ostseefisch deckt auf, dass die mit der Reform der Gemeinsamen Fischereipolitik eingeführte Anlandepflicht in der Ostsee so gut wie nicht eingehalten wird. Diese verbietet, unerwünschten Beifang über Bord zu werfen und verpflichtet die Fischereifahrzeuge, den nicht mehr lebensfähigen Beifang mit dem erwünschten Fang an Land zu bringen und zu dokumentieren. Der sogenannte unerwünschte Beifang wird auf die Quote angerechnet.
    Weggeworfen: Wie illegale Rückwürfe in der Ostsee den europäischen Fischereien und Bürgern schaden

    Als Folge der Nichteinhaltung werden die EU-Lieferketten für Fischereierzeugnisse in nie dagewesenem Maße mit rechtswidrigen Praktiken belastet, denn hier verstoßen die Fischereibetriebe gegen geltende Umweltauflagen. Dem Bericht zufolge müssen die EU-Mitgliedstaaten die Umsetzung von Programmen zur Überwachung und Durchsetzung verbessern, um eine Beendigung der illegalen und verschwenderischen Rückwürfe sicherzustellen.

    Die Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) koordiniert in Deutschland die Aktivitäten der Initiative Our Fish, die den Bericht „Weggeworfen: Wie illegale Rückwürfe in der Ostsee den europäischen Fischereien und Bürgern schaden“ verfasst hat. Die von Our Fish durchgeführte Untersuchung zeigt, dass die Bemühungen der EU-Regierungen, die Verpflichtung zur Anlandung der wichtigsten Ostseefischarten umzusetzen, in einigen Fällen sogar zu einem Anstieg der Rückwürfe geführt haben. “Wir fordern den noch amtierenden Bundeslandwirtschaftsminister Christian Schmidt auf, für die Einhaltung der durch sein Haus selbst mit auf den Weg gebrachten Vorschriften zur Anlandeverpflichtung zu sorgen“, sagt DUH-Bundesgeschäftsführer Sascha Müller-Kraenner. „Wenn die Bundesregierung es mit der Beendigung verschwenderischer und illegaler Rückwürfe ernst meint, muss sie die völlig unzureichenden Kontroll- und Durchsetzungsversuche durch effektive elektronische Überwachungsprogramme ersetzen und zudem bei der nationalen Aufteilung von Fangquoten dafür sorgen, dass nachweislich vorschriftsmäßig fischende Betriebe mit einer höheren Quote belohnt werden als solche, die hiergegen verstoßen haben.“

    Der Bericht legt dar, wie die unzureichende Umsetzung der Anlandeverpflichtung in der Ostsee die Nachhaltigkeit der regionalen Fischbestände und insbesondere der wirtschaftlich bedeutenden und bei den Verbrauchern beliebten Zielart Dorsch gefährdet. Dorsch, wie der Kabeljau in der Ostsee genannt wird, ist an Fischtheken und in Tiefkühltruhen vieler europäischer Supermärkte zu finden. Laut wissenschaftlichen Erhebungen werden 90 Prozent der untermaßigen, d.h. für eine Vermarktung als Speisefisch zu kleinen Dorsche ins Meer zurückgeworfen und nicht, wie vorgeschrieben, für eine weniger einträgliche Vermarktung an Land gebracht. Allein 2016 wurden etwa 11,5 Millionen Dorsche illegal zurückgeworfen und damit als Ressource vernichtet. „Einzelhandel und Endkunden dürften schockiert sein zu erfahren, dass ihr Dorsch mit hoher Wahrscheinlichkeit aus einer Fischerei mit illegalen Rückwürfen stammt“, sagt Rebecca Hubbard, Programmdirektorin von Our Fish. „Auch der Einzelhandel sollte ein Interesse an der schnellstmöglichen Einführung der elektronischen Überwachung in EU-Fischereien haben, um die Einhaltung geltender Rechtsvorschriften in der Lieferkette zu gewährleisten. Die Rückwurf-Problematik ist bei den Dorsch-Fischereien besonders drastisch, aber keineswegs auf sie allein beschränkt.“

    Hintergrund:

    Über die Anlandeverpflichtung

    Mit der Reform der Gemeinsamen Fischereipolitik (GFP), in Kraft seit dem 1.1.2014, wurde eine Anlandverpflichtung für Arten eingeführt, für die jährlich festgelegte Gesamtfangmengen gelten (Art. 15 der GFP-Grundverordnung, Verordnung (EU) Nr. 1380/2013 vom 11. Dezember 2013). Für diese Arten wird die Verwendung von Fängen unterhalb festgelegter Mindestreferenzgrößen auf andere Zwecke als den menschlichen Verzehr (beispielsweise Tierfutter oder Fischöl) beschränkt. Alle Fänge werden in gleicher Weise auf die jeweilige Quote angerechnet. Auf diese Weise sollen Rückwürfe, vor allem aber bereits die unerwünschten Fänge vermieden werden. Die geringeren Erlöse für angelandete Beifänge bilden einen Anreiz für den Gebrauch von Fanggeräten mit einer verbesserten Selektivität. Das bedeutet, dass Fanggeräte so konstruiert sind, dass unerwünschte Fänge minimiert werden, etwa durch größere Maschenweiten der Netze.

    In der Ostsee gilt die Anlandeverpflichtung für Hering, Sprotte, Dorsch und Lachs seit 2015, für Scholle erst seit 2017. Bis 2019 soll sie in allen EU-Gewässern in Kraft sein.

     

    Über Our Fish

    Our Fish will sicherstellen, dass die EU-Mitgliedstaaten die Gemeinsame Fischereipolitik umsetzen und für nachhaltige Fischbestände in den europäischen Gewässern sorgen.

    Our Fish arbeitet mit Organisationen und Personen in ganz Europa zusammen, um eine starke und beharrliche Kernbotschaft zu verbreiten: Die Überfischung muss beendet und die nachhaltige Befischung der europäischen Meere gewährleistet werden. Our Fish fordert die ordnungsgemäße Durchführung der Gemeinsamen Fischereipolitik und die effektive Kontrolle der europäischen Fischereien.

    Our Fish ruft alle EU-Mitgliedstaaten dazu auf, nachhaltige Fanggrenzen auf der Grundlage wissenschaftlicher Empfehlungen festzulegen, und durch Überwachung und Dokumentation aller Fänge sicherzustellen, dass ihre Fangflotten den Nachweis einer nachhaltigen Fischerei erbringen.

    http://our.fish

     

    Link:

    Zum Bericht: our.fish/thrownaway2017

    Kontakt:
    Rebecca Hubbard, Programmdirektorin Our Fish

    +34 657669425, rebecca@our.fish

    Sascha Müller-Kraenner, Bundesgeschäftsführer
    0160 90354509, mueller-kraenner@duh.de

    Ulrich Stöcker, Leiter Naturschutz

    0160 8950556, stoecker@duh.de

    DUH-Pressestelle:

    Andrea Kuper, Ann-Kathrin Marggraf
    030 2400867-20, presse@duh.de

    www.duh.de, www.twitter.com/umwelthilfe, www.facebook.com/umwelthilfe

     

  • New Report Exposes How Illegal Discarding of Baltic Fish Fails EU Citizens

    New Report Exposes How Illegal Discarding of Baltic Fish Fails EU Citizens

    A report published today on the discarding of Baltic fish reveals that compliance with the reformed Common Fisheries Policy’s Landing Obligation is almost non-existent in the Baltic Sea, exposing the European seafood supply chain to unprecedented levels of illegal behaviour. The report urges EU Member States to immediately act on implementation of proven monitoring and enforcement programs in order to end illegal and wasteful discarding.

    Thrown Away: How Illegal Discarding in the Baltic Sea is Failing EU Fisheries and CitizensBrussels, 15 November, 2017:-
    The report, titled Thrown Away: How Illegal Discarding in the Baltic Sea is Failing EU Fisheries and Citizens, published by campaign group Our Fish, finds EU government responses to the Landing Obligation have in some cases made discarding worse, while clear advice on effective tools to monitor and control the law is being ignored. This situation is failing the almost 900,000 EU citizens who actively supported a ban on discards during the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy

    “EU citizens expect national governments and EU authorities to uphold the laws they have signed up to – yet fisheries ministers are not keeping their end of the bargain,” said Our Fish Programme Director Rebecca Hubbard. “If EU governments are serious about ending wasteful and illegal discarding, it is clear that they have to stop dodging responsibility, and put in place effective electronic monitoring and enforcement programs, only giving quota top-ups to fishing fleets who can prove that they comply with the law”.

    “By failing to properly implement the discard ban in the Baltic Sea, EU governments are jeopardising the sustainability of fish stocks, undermining scientific advice, and perpetuating a waste of valuable resources. Not only does this limit the economic prosperity of the fishing industry, it exposes the EU seafood supply chain to unprecedented levels of illegal behaviour”, continued Hubbard.

    “Retailers and customers throughout Europe may be shocked to find out that cod on their supermarket shelves is likely to be from a Baltic fishery that is illegally discarding”, said Hubbard. “Retailers should insist that electronic monitoring is promptly implemented in order to ensure compliance in the supply chain. The problem of discards is particularly alarming in the case of Baltic cod, but not at all limited to these fisheries”.

    The Thrown Away report outlines how 90% of undersize Baltic cod is still being discarded – in 2016 alone, some 11.5 million Baltic Sea cod were discarded illegally. In 2018 and 2019, these illegal discard figures are set for another dramatic increase if monitoring and enforcement do not improve, as the first strong year class of western Baltic cod in over a decade joins the population.

    Findings of the Thrown Away report also include:

    • The reduction in Minimum Conservation Reference Size for eastern Baltic cod has resulted in a worsening of fishing selectivity, through the incentivising of commercialization of smaller size eastern cod, and has had no apparent effect on reducing discard rates.
    • Many of the flexibilities provided for in the CFP Article 15 have yet to be used, while quota swaps to help deal with changes in landings of different species – which have been encouraged and predicted to increase by the European Commission – have instead decreased since 2014.
    • The European Fisheries Control Agency and national control agencies have invested heavily in at-sea inspections with catch profiling (last-haul analysis) to assess the level of compliance with the LO, however, these techniques cannot be used by enforcement authorities to prosecute individual fishers for illegal discarding.

    Recommendations for responsible authorities at national and EU level include:

    • Initiate electronic monitoring programmes, starting with demersal mixed trawl fisheries, to improve data collection and compliance rates, and gather evidence of suspected violations;
    • Allocate TAC adjustments to national fishing fleets that have high at-sea monitoring coverage or can demonstrate that they are complying with the LO; and
    • Reallocate quota at a national level to those vessels that can demonstrate they are operating in compliance with the LO.

    The Thrown Away report can be downloaded from our.fish/thrownaway2017

    Notes:

    About the Landing Obligation

    Following the reform, the EU’s Landing Obligation (LO) was introduced in 2013 to eliminate discards and drive change in fishing practices – avoid catching unwanted and non-valuable fish, incentivise improvements in selectivity, count everything that is caught, and promote ecosystem-based management. All catches of all species that have a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and Mediterranean species that have a minimum landing size, caught in European waters or by European fishing vessels, now have to be landed and counted against quota. The LO is being phased in by species and fisheries – starting with pelagic fisheries and Baltic Sea fisheries in 2015, and intended to be in place in all EU waters by 2019.

    Further Reading
    October 10th: EU Fisheries Ministers’ All Night Debate Leads To Continued Baltic Overfishing of Cod

    Other Reports:
    Germany’s Blind Spot for Sustainable Fisheries
    How Denmark Can Make Fisheries Fair and Sustainable

    Contacts
    Dave Walsh, Communications Advisor, dave@our.fish +34 691826764
    Rebecca Hubbard, Program Director, rebecca@our.fish +34 657669425
    Follow Our Fish on Twitter: https://twitter.com/our_fish

    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.

    http://our.fish

    Photograph: Armin Muck/BalticSea2020

  • New Report Exposes How Illegal Discarding of Baltic Fish Fails EU Citizens

    A report published today on the discarding of Baltic fish reveals that compliance with the reformed Common Fisheries Policy’s Landing Obligation is almost non-existent in the Baltic Sea, exposing the European seafood supply chain to unprecedented levels of illegal behaviour. The report urges EU Member States to immediately act on implementation of proven monitoring and enforcement programs in order to end illegal and wasteful discarding.

    Thrown Away: How Illegal Discarding in the Baltic Sea is Failing EU Fisheries and CitizensBrussels, 15 November, 2017:-
    The report, titled Thrown Away: How Illegal Discarding in the Baltic Sea is Failing EU Fisheries and Citizens, published by campaign group Our Fish, finds EU government responses to the Landing Obligation have in some cases made discarding worse, while clear advice on effective tools to monitor and control the law is being ignored. This situation is failing the almost 900,000 EU citizens who actively supported a ban on discards during the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy

    “EU citizens expect national governments and EU authorities to uphold the laws they have signed up to – yet fisheries ministers are not keeping their end of the bargain,” said Our Fish Programme Director Rebecca Hubbard. “If EU governments are serious about ending wasteful and illegal discarding, it is clear that they have to stop dodging responsibility, and put in place effective electronic monitoring and enforcement programs, only giving quota top-ups to fishing fleets who can prove that they comply with the law”.

    “By failing to properly implement the discard ban in the Baltic Sea, EU governments are jeopardising the sustainability of fish stocks, undermining scientific advice, and perpetuating a waste of valuable resources. Not only does this limit the economic prosperity of the fishing industry, it exposes the EU seafood supply chain to unprecedented levels of illegal behaviour”, continued Hubbard.

    “Retailers and customers throughout Europe may be shocked to find out that cod on their supermarket shelves is likely to be from a Baltic fishery that is illegally discarding”, said Hubbard. “Retailers should insist that electronic monitoring is promptly implemented in order to ensure compliance in the supply chain. The problem of discards is particularly alarming in the case of Baltic cod, but not at all limited to these fisheries”.

    The Thrown Away report outlines how 90% of undersize Baltic cod is still being discarded – in 2016 alone, some 11.5 million Baltic Sea cod were discarded illegally. In 2018 and 2019, these illegal discard figures are set for another dramatic increase if monitoring and enforcement do not improve, as the first strong year class of western Baltic cod in over a decade joins the population.

    Findings of the Thrown Away report also include:

    • The reduction in Minimum Conservation Reference Size for eastern Baltic cod has resulted in a worsening of fishing selectivity, through the incentivising of commercialization of smaller size eastern cod, and has had no apparent effect on reducing discard rates.
    • Many of the flexibilities provided for in the CFP Article 15 have yet to be used, while quota swaps to help deal with changes in landings of different species – which have been encouraged and predicted to increase by the European Commission – have instead decreased since 2014.
    • The European Fisheries Control Agency and national control agencies have invested heavily in at-sea inspections with catch profiling (last-haul analysis) to assess the level of compliance with the LO, however, these techniques cannot be used by enforcement authorities to prosecute individual fishers for illegal discarding.

    Recommendations for responsible authorities at national and EU level include:

    • Initiate electronic monitoring programmes, starting with demersal mixed trawl fisheries, to improve data collection and compliance rates, and gather evidence of suspected violations;
    • Allocate TAC adjustments to national fishing fleets that have high at-sea monitoring coverage or can demonstrate that they are complying with the LO; and
    • Reallocate quota at a national level to those vessels that can demonstrate they are operating in compliance with the LO.

    The Thrown Away report can be downloaded from our.fish/thrownaway2017

    Notes:

    About the Landing Obligation

    Following the reform, the EU’s Landing Obligation (LO) was introduced in 2013 to eliminate discards and drive change in fishing practices – avoid catching unwanted and non-valuable fish, incentivise improvements in selectivity, count everything that is caught, and promote ecosystem-based management. All catches of all species that have a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and Mediterranean species that have a minimum landing size, caught in European waters or by European fishing vessels, now have to be landed and counted against quota. The LO is being phased in by species and fisheries – starting with pelagic fisheries and Baltic Sea fisheries in 2015, and intended to be in place in all EU waters by 2019.

    Further Reading
    October 10th: EU Fisheries Ministers’ All Night Debate Leads To Continued Baltic Overfishing of Cod

    Other Reports:
    Germany’s Blind Spot for Sustainable Fisheries
    How Denmark Can Make Fisheries Fair and Sustainable

    Contacts
    Dave Walsh, Communications Advisor, dave@our.fish +34 691826764
    Rebecca Hubbard, Program Director, rebecca@our.fish +34 657669425
    Follow Our Fish on Twitter: https://twitter.com/our_fish

    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.

    http://our.fish

    Photograph: Armin Muck/BalticSea2020