ourfish

Our Fish Comment on Norway-EU agreement on fishing limits for shared stocks in 2018

Posted on December 6, 2017 by - Press Releases

Our Fish Comment on Norway-EU agreement on fishing limits for shared stocks in 2018

Brussels, 6 December 2017:- Responding to the release of the EU-Norway agreement on fishing limits for shared stocks in 2018, the Our Fish campaign has harshly criticised the agreement’s allowance of continued overfishing in the North Sea and Skagerrak, and that illegal discarding behaviour will be rewarded with extra quota allowances.

“It is outrageous that the EU is again subjecting the North Sea, Skagerrak and Kattegat to legalised overfishing, like some sort of horrible Groundhog Day for fish stocks”, said Our Fish Programme Director Rebecca Hubbard. “The Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for Cod in the Skagerrak has been set at unbelievable 88.17% above scientific advice for wanted catch, at 7,995 tonnes.”

“This figure includes quota top-up to take into account increased landings, despite the EU being aware that there is likely widespread non-compliance with the discard ban, due to inadequate monitoring and control. This situation clearly amounts  to willful double-overfishing by the EU and cannot be excused.”

“Whiting in both the Kattegat and Skagerrak will again be subject to overfishing with a TAC set 510% above scientific advice for wanted catch (1,050 tonnes). The iconic North Sea cod, which recently received Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification, will be fished 45% above what scientists recommend (if non-compliance with the discard ban continues) as a sustainable catch, despite only recently coming back from the brink of commercial collapse (TAC 43,156 tonnes). Whiting in the North Sea region was also approved for overfishing with a TAC of 99% higher than scientific advice for ‘wanted catch’ (at 22,057 tonnes).”

“Our Fish finds it disturbing that while Norway again stated its concerns regarding the lack of technical measures and control of the discard ban by the EU – increasing its call for action to urgent – in reality the EU has done little to resolve the situation, and has even prevented Norway from attending meetings with the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA)” (See 12.3.6-8)

“As a result of EU countries failing to implement advice on proven monitoring and enforcement measures, such as remote electronic monitoring, it is highly possible that millions of baby North Sea cod, equating to a huge 33% of the catch, will be illegally discarded next year, undermining knowledge of total catch quantities, and threatening MSC certification and the ability of the valuable fishery to rapidly regenerate.“

“The EU also appears to have used its negotiations with Norway on shared stock fishing limits for 2018 to start wheeling out its watered-down ideal of the North Sea Multi-Annual Plan, even though it is still in trialogue. The European Commission and Council seem to be strong-arming the Parliament into dramatically lowering targets to end overfishing of all species, undermining its ability to deliver sustainable fisheries management.” (See 5.16.2 of the Norway-EU agreement – under Long-term management strategies), added Hubbard.

“The EU-Norway negotiations have left the door open to overfishing North Sea cod and North Sea whiting”, said Our Fish Netherlands Campaigner Frederieke Vlek. “In particular, North Sea Whiting will fall under the landing obligation and may put restrictions on Dutch industrial fisheries, as it is a so-called choke species. It is however not the fishery that needs to be saved from restrictions, but the fish that needs to be saved from overfishing. By setting such a high TAC for this species, the EU has proven that there is still more political appetite for unselective fisheries with high rates of unwanted catch, than for ending discards and starting effective management for vulnerable  bycatch species.”

“The distinct lack of transparency around the EU-Norway negotiations on shared fish stocks makes detailed assessments of the agreement difficult. In 2018, the EU must provide civil society with the same access industry already benefits from, and it must release all scientific and socio-economic data used to negotiate the fishing limits, in advance”, concluded Hubbard

The Norway-EU fisheries agreement will go to the EU Agrifish Council meeting on 11-12 December for approval by the Council and Commission.

Contacts

Dave Walsh, Communications Advisor, dave@our.fish +34 691826764

Rebecca Hubbard, Program Director, rebecca@our.fish +34 657669425

Frederieke Vlek, Netherlands Campaigner, frederieke@our.fish +31 625031004

Follow Our Fish on Twitter: @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

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

Posted on November 15, 2017 by - Press Releases

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

Our Fish Response to Reckless Claims by German Fishing Federation Leader

Posted on October 26, 2017 by - Press Releases

Our Fish Response to Reckless Claims by German Fishing Federation Leader

Berlin, 26 October, 2017:- Responding to claims by Peter Breckling, General Secretary of the German Fishing Federation that “in 2019 the cod stocks will be gigantic” in the Baltic Sea, in an article published by German news outlet, Kieler Nachrichten, Our Fish Programme Director Rebecca Hubbard said:

“Mr Breckling’s claims regarding abundant Baltic cod stocks in 2019 are absurd and reckless. One strong year class for western Baltic cod is not evidence that the ‘fishing crisis will be over in 2019’. Baltic cod stocks are still at the second lowest biomass levels since the early 1980s, and are still outside safe limits for repopulating to a healthy state.”

“Western Baltic cod quotas are set far too high to rebuild these iconic fish stocks to healthy levels, with ministers at the recent AGRIFISH meeting agreeing on quotas four times higher than the most cautious advice recommended by fisheries scientists. If the German government continues to listen to fishing industry representatives like Mr Breckling, and making promises that are impossible to deliver on, it risks inducing a collapse of Baltic cod fish stocks instead of rebuilding them, as is required under EU fisheries law”.

“By claiming that more fish need to be caught, because ecosystems cannot feed current stocks, and that fish are being lost because of underfishing, should be seen as evidence that at best Mr Breckling is living in some kind of fishy fantasy world, and at worst misrepresenting the fishing industry, while misleading the German government and consumers.”

Notes:

‘”2019 ist die Fischerei-Krise überstanden“, Kieler Nachrichten 24/10/2017

2019 wird der Dorschbestand gigantisch sein, sagt Peter Breckling, Generalsekretär des Deutschen Fischereiverbands, voraus. Er plädiert deshalb dafür, die Quote schon im nächsten Jahr zu erhöhen.’

(‘”2019 the fishing crisis is over”

In 2019 the cod stocks will be gigantic, says Peter Breckling, General Secretary of the German Fishing Federation. He therefore advocates increasing the quota already next year.’)

 

For more information, see the Our Fish press release from October 10:

EU Fisheries Ministers’ All Night Debate Leads To Continued Baltic Overfishing of Cod

Report:

Germany’s Blind Spot for Sustainable Fisheries (EN)

Neuer Bericht betont Deutschlands blinden Fleck für nachhaltige Fischerei (DE)

Contacts

Dave Walsh, Communications Advisor, dave@our.fish +34 691826764

Rebecca Hubbard, Program Director, rebecca@our.fish +34 657669425

Follow Our Fish on Twitter 

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

EU Fisheries Ministers’ All Night Debate Leads To Continued Baltic Overfishing of Cod

Posted on October 10, 2017 by - Press Releases

Luxembourg, 10 October 2017: Campaign organisation Our Fish this morning slammed the decision by EU fisheries ministers to set 2018 western Baltic cod quotas four times higher than cautious scientific advice during an all night AGRIFISH meeting in Luxembourg [1][2].

After hours of deliberations that continued until after 6am, EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council ministers agreed to set Total Allowable Catches (TAC) for western Baltic cod at 5,597 tonnes, four times higher than the most cautious scientific advice, despite the stock being critically overfished [3]. Eastern Baltic cod was set at 28,388 tonnes, almost four thousand tonnes higher than scientific advice [4].

“Despite staying up all night, all EU fisheries ministers accomplished is once again setting Total Allowable Catches for Baltic cod far higher than recommended by scientific advice”, said Our Fish Programme Director Rebecca Hubbard. “EU citizens would be better served by ministers who understand that quotas need to be a fraction of current levels, so that Baltic cod stocks can recover from decades of overfishing”.

“This is the fourth year in a row that the Council of EU fisheries ministers have set fishing limits for western Baltic cod significantly above scientific advice, despite the stock being severely overfished. Governments are pursuing a downward spiral of these once great fish stocks, which has serious ecological and social impacts, and goes against both EU fisheries law and public sentiment [5]”.

“It is already well established that setting fishing limits based on scientific advice will help ensure healthy fish stocks, and reap greater social and economic benefits for communities”, said Hubbard. “Yet despite this opportunity, fisheries ministers are still unwilling to follow scientific advice. With relative profits of the fishing industry at an all time high and fish stocks severely overfished, fisheries ministers are missing a perfect opportunity to secure sustainable Baltic cod stocks”, concluded Hubbard.

AGRIFISH meets again in December 2017 to discuss and decide on Total Allowable Catches for fish stocks in the North East Atlantic. Deliberations are expected to be even more laborious than for the Baltic stocks, with around 150 stocks under discussion.

ENDS

Photo

High resolution photograph of the artwork by Gijs Vanhee is available for download and use in relation to this story.

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

Notes:

For more background see 9 October 2017 press release: Agrifish: 70,000 People Join Demand to End EU overfishing as Ministers Decide Baltic limits

http://our.fish/en/2017/10/09/agrifish-70000-people-join-demand-end-eu-overfishing-ministers-decide-baltic-limits/

[1] Council agreement on 2018 catch limits in the Baltic Sea

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2017/10/09-baltic-sea-catch-limits-2018/

[2] The AGRIFISH meeting took place at the European Convention Center Luxembourg (ECCL)

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/agrifish/2017/10/09-10/

[3] The Council of EU fisheries ministers set 2017 fishing limits for four out of ten Baltic fish stocks above scientific advice, including a 352% increase on scientific advice for western Baltic cod, despite the fact that they were on the edge of commercial collapse.

The reformed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) that entered into force in 2014 aims to restore and maintain populations of fish stocks above levels capable of supporting MSY. The corresponding exploitation rate was to be achieved by 2015 where possible and by 2020 at the latest for all stocks. Following scientific advice is essential if we are to achieve this goal, end overfishing, and restore fish stocks to healthy levels.

New Economics Foundation (2017), Landing the Blame – Overfishing in the Baltic 2017. http://neweconomics.org/2016/12/landing-the-blame/

August 31, 2017: NGOs call on Baltic Governments to stop driving overfishing

http://our.fish/en/2017/08/31/ngos-call-on-baltic-governments-to-stop-driving-overfishing/

[4] Fisheries Secretariat & Seas At Risk (2017), Annex I: Comments and recommendations for Member States on the ‘Commission proposal for a Council Regulation fixing for 2018 the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks applicable in the Baltic Sea’, available at: http://www.fishsec.org/app/uploads/2017/09/170927-SAR-FISH-Council-Brief-2018-Baltic-TAC-Annex-FINAL.pdf

[5] Carpenter, G. & Esteban, A. (2015). Managing EU fisheries in the public interest. London: New Economics Foundation. http://neweconomics.org/2015/03/managing-eu-fisheries-in-the-public-interest/

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

 

Agrifish: 70,000 People Join Demand to End EU overfishing as Ministers Decide Baltic limits

Posted on October 9, 2017 by - Press Releases

Luxembourg, 9 October 2017: As more than 70,000 EU citizens signed a petition calling for an end to overfishing and protection of EU waters, an enigmatic light painting depicting cod heads and money bags formed a cordon around the Luxembourg conference venue where EU fisheries ministers will discuss 2018 Baltic Sea fishing limits, during today’s AGRIFISH meeting.

“By creating this artwork, I want to highlight the link between industry influence that is fueling overfishing, as well as the lack of transparency in the decision-making process”, said Belgian street artist Gijs Vanhee, who collaborated with the Our Fish campaign to create the image outside the European Convention Center in Luxembourg.

“In just three days, over 70,000 people from across the EU have stepped forward to tell their governments to stop overfishing and safeguard the EU’s marine environment through the proper enforcement of already existing laws”, said Rebecca Hubbard, Program Director with Our Fish. “EU citizens clearly understand that Europe’s marine resources are under pressure and expect their governments to ensure we have healthy fish stocks and coastal communities for the future”.

The Council of EU fisheries ministers set 2017 fishing limits for four out of ten Baltic fish stocks above scientific advice, including a staggering 352% increase on scientific advice for Western Baltic Cod, despite the fact that they were teetering on the edge of commercial collapse [2].

“While Denmark and Germany have been pursuing overfishing of western Baltic cod under the excuse of avoiding social and economic impacts, most of the quota flows to destructive trawlers that cause the biggest environmental impact, while reaping higher profits than lower-impact coastal fishers [2]. The reality is that Denmark and Germany can make fishing ecologically sustainable and economically fair during today’s Council meeting, by setting Total Allowable Catches (TACs) at the the most cautious end of scientific advice, and changing the way quotas are allocated within their own countries,” continued Hubbard [3].

“Western Baltic cod is in a desperate situation, with populations at their second lowest level in thirty years. To rebuild stocks to healthy levels, western Baltic cod must be given a break from overexploitation”, said Hubbard. [4] “The fishing industry has never had a better moment for reinventing itself as a sustainable industry – fuel prices are at an all time low, relative profits of the fishing industry are at an all time high, and evidence shows that the faster we end overfishing, the greater the economic benefits will be [3].”

EU Agrifish Council meetings are closed to the public, there is no public record of debates, and the Council refuses to publicly livestream the sessions where annual fishing limits are decided. Meanwhile fishing industry lobbyists have repeatedly gained insider access to Agrifish meeting venues using press passes, giving them unfair influence on final decisions [5].

“The Fisheries Ministers meeting behind closed doors here today will have an impact on our ocean, our food, and our communities. Their decisions must be based on scientific advice and EU law, rather than narrow profit-based interests of a small number of fishing industry heavyweights. By ending overfishing and returning EU fish stocks to healthy levels, we could provide enough fish to feed 89 million people and support 20,000 more jobs [6]”, concluded Hubbard.

ENDS

 

Photo

High resolution photograph of the artwork by Gijs Vanhee is available for download and use in relation to this story.

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

Notes:

Today’s AGRIFISH meeting is taking place at the European Convention Center Luxembourg (ECCL)

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/agrifish/2017/10/09-10/

[1]The Petition hosted by WeMove.EU in partnership with Our Fish, Seas At risk and IFAW, was launched on Friday, October 6th https://act.wemove.eu/campaigns/save-eu-seas

[2] The reformed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) that entered into force in 2014 aims to restore and maintain populations of fish stocks above levels capable of supporting MSY. The corresponding exploitation rate was to be achieved by 2015 where possible and by 2020 at the latest for all stocks. Following scientific advice is essential if we are to achieve this goal, end overfishing, and restore fish stocks to healthy levels.

New Economics Foundation (2017), Landing the Blame – Overfishing in the Baltic 2017. http://neweconomics.org/2016/12/landing-the-blame/

“German and Danish Governments are also under intense pressure from the trawler-dominated Baltic Sea Advisory Council, who are proposing a western Baltic cod limit of 8,597 tonnes, which includes an extra 3,000 tonnes under the auspices of eastern Baltic cod mixing in the western baltic zones. Environmental NGOs, the European Anglers Association and the Latvian fishing association voted against this quota transfer in the Baltic Sea Advisory Council, as it further threatens the vulnerable western Baltic cod stock and disenfranchises eastern Baltic countries of their fisheries rights.”

http://our.fish/en/2017/08/31/ngos-call-on-baltic-governments-to-stop-driving-overfishing/

[3] Our Fish & New Economics Foundation (2017), How Denmark can make fisheries sustainable and fair

http://our.fish/en/2017/08/29/how-denmark-can-make-fisheries-fair-and-sustainable/

Our Fish & New Economics Foundation (2017), Germany’s blind spot for sustainable fisheries

http://our.fish/en/2017/08/28/germanys-blind-spot-for-sustainable-fisheries/

[4] Despite a strong 2016 year class, stocks are still at the second lowest biomass levels since the early 1980s, and outside of safe limits for repopulating to a healthy state.

ICES (2017), ICES Advice on fishing opportunities, catch, and effort, Baltic Sea Ecoregion. Published 31 May 2017. Cod.27.22-24

[5] Fishing For Influence, Corporate Europe Observatory and Seas At Risk, viewed 8/10/2017 at https://corporateeurope.org/power-lobbies/2017/05/fishing-influence

[6] Carpenter, G. & Esteban, A. (2015). Managing EU fisheries in the public interest. London: New Economics Foundation. http://neweconomics.org/2015/03/managing-eu-fisheries-in-the-public-interest/  

[7] Last week during the Our Ocean conference in Malta, Michelin-starred chefs from France, Spain and Italy wrote to their respective fisheries ministers and to EU Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella, to demand urgent action on the region’s growing fisheries crisis.

Michelin Starred Chefs and World Famous Street Artists Call for an end to Overfishing To Save Mediterranean Iconic Food and Culture http://our.fish/en/2017/10/05/michelin-starred-chefs-world-famous-street-artists-call-end-overfishing-save-mediterranean-iconic-food-culture/

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

Michelin Starred Chefs and World Famous Street Artists Call for an End to Overfishing to save Mediterranean Iconic Food and Culture

Posted on October 5, 2017 by - Press Releases

Light painting of ghostly swordfish near Valletta, Malta, by Maltese street artist Twitch, in collaboration with Our Fish & Dancing Fox. Image: Twitch/Dancing Fox/Our Fish

Malta, October 5th, 2017:- As political, business and civic leaders from around the world converge in Malta today for the annual Our Ocean conference, Michelin-starred chefs have joined world famous street artists to demand urgent action on the region’s growing fisheries crisis from ministers of the EU’s Mediterranean nations and EU Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella.

“Mediterranean fisheries still have a chance. They may be 96% overfished, but if urgent action is taken to halt their overexploitation, these EU fish stocks have a good chance of rebounding to more sustainable levels by 2020. What’s needed is political will from Mediterranean EU nations to take real action, and to take it now, before, it’s too late”, said chefs Massimo Bottura (It), Paco Morales (Es), Christopher Coutanceau (Fr), David Ariza Abad (Es), Valerio Calabrese (It), Nicola Attianese and Filomena D’Uva (It) , in a letter addressed to Commissioner Vella, and Fisheries Ministers from Italy, Spain and France.

“When artists and chefs are asking what we will eat if all the Mediterranean’s  fish are gone, we’re wondering why leaders at the Our Ocean conference are not asking themselves the same question”, said Rebecca Hubbard, Program Director for campaign organisation Our Fish. “It’s not enough for EU fisheries ministers to celebrate signing declarations of intent for the Mediterranean  – they need to make good on the intentions, by acting now to protect our fish stocks.”

Currently, 96% of EU Mediterranean stocks are overfished. Official discards  – fish caught but thrown back dead or dying – are estimated at 230,000 tonnes per year (18% of Mediterranean fish catches) [1] – not  including what goes unreported [2]. Fishing causes or contributes  to 93% of depletions of Mediterranean marine wildlife and 100% of local extinctions [3]. Bottom trawling is driving the decline in already endangered shark and ray populations in the Mediterranean, and is the major culprit in overfishing of demersal, or bottom dwelling species [4]. European hake – is exploited at almost 15 times the sustainable rate in some areas [5].

Our Ocean Street Art by Vera Bugatti

“I created this artwork inspired by a single question: what will we eat if there are no more fish?” – Vera Bugatti.  Vera Bugatti/Dancing Fox/Our Fish – Photo by Zigli Jonathan Borg.

To remind Our Ocean delegates of their opportunity to help protect Mediterranean sea life, Maltese street artist Twitch has collaborated with Our Fish to create a spectacular light painting, depicting a ghostly swordfish leaping out of the waters surrounding Valletta. “As humans we look always to the ocean — for inspiration, for food, for culture, for life. If we don’t take urgent action today to end overfishing, soon all we will be left with are ghosts,” said Twitch.

Italian street artist Vera Bugatti has created a 3x6m canvas that challenges us to see overfishing from the point of view of the marine life itself.  “I created this artwork inspired by a single question: what will we eat if there are no more fish? The Mediterranean has shaped our food, our art and our culture for thousands of years, and today it is time for us to come together to protect this rich cultural and natural bounty for generations to come,” said Bugatti. Bugatti’s painting will be on display in Spinola Bay from 16:00 on Thursday afternoon.

ENDS

Photo & Video

The letter from chefs to ministers can be downloaded from here

High resolution images of Twitch’s light painting can be downloaded from here

Further high resolution images photo and video will be available from here

Infographic: How to stop Mediterranean Overfishing is available here

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.

About the Artists

Vera Bugatti is an internationally recognised Italian artist and street painter.

She has taken part in multiple exhibitions, and she has performed in several street art events all over the world. She has won awards for her work in Italy, The Netherlands, France, Germany, Ireland, Croatia, Austria, Malta, Sweden, Denmark, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Russia, Latvia, Portogallo, UK, Bulgaria, USA, Mexico, Emirates and India.

Her 3D street painting, also commonly known as pavement art, street art, or sidewalk art, is the rendering of artistic designs on streets, sidewalks, and town squares with semi-permanent or impermanent materials such as chalk. This type of art was born with the first Italian pavement artists (the Madonnari) that have been traced back to the sixteenth century.

James Micallef Grimaud, aka Twitch, is a Maltese artist known as a pioneer of street art in his country. Starting in the mid ‘90s, he began creating artwork with spray paint on walls in derelict locations around Malta. He is the first graffiti artist on the island credited with creating street art that has “deeper meaning”.

In addition to his street art, Grimaud also works with acrylics, oils, and other media in his studio. He has featured in numerous solo and collaborative shows, both internationally and at home in Malta. His unique style and groundbreaking large-scale work kicked off a massive  interest in street art on the island, and he remains a unique and leading voice within the scene today.

Notes

Our Ocean is a global conference, held annually at different locations – the 2015 version was held in Valparaiso, Chile, while John Kerry oversaw the 2016 edition in Washington DC. The 2017 edition is hosted by the European Commission, and Commissioner Karmenu Vella, who is from Malta. More details at https://ourocean2017.org

[1] FAO (2016): State of the Mediterranean and Black Sea

[2] FAO (2016): State of the Mediterranean and Black Sea

Discards are mainly generated by bottom trawls (40%), and range from 15-65.5% of catches. Pelagic trawl bycatch levels range from 10-50%, and for purse seiners and small scale fishers from 2-15%

[3] FAO (2016): State of the Mediterranean and Black Sea

[4] FAO (2016): State of the Mediterranean and Black Sea

[5] Oceana (2016): Mediterranean Sea, A key EU fishing region in a bleak state of overfishing

NGOs call on Baltic Governments to stop driving overfishing

Posted on August 31, 2017 by - Press Releases

Copenhagen, 31 August 2017: As the BALTFISH meeting to discuss Baltic Sea fishing quotas opened today in Copenhagen, environmental organisations urged government officials to avoid pandering to the demands of big business and instead focus on applying EU fisheries law and ending overfishing [1].

As delegates arrived at the meeting at the Danish Agrifish Agency they were greeted by supporters of the Our Fish campaign dressed in cod costumes, displaying a banner that calls on on Baltic governments to “Stop Overfishing”.

“While the BALTFISH deliberations are taking place behind closed doors, European citizens, as beneficial owners of Europe’s fish stocks, have the right to demand that these fisheries are managed according to the law. Our Fish is calling on Baltic governments to stop endorsing overfishing for the benefit of big trawling interests and instead support science-based quotas that will rebuild our fish stocks”, said Our Fish Program Director Rebecca Hubbard.

BALTFISH is a regional body consisting of government representatives from the eight EU nations bordering the Baltic, and is responsible for cooperating on the development of sustainable fisheries in the Baltic Sea. Today’s meeting is key in the preparations of governments to establish a position on fishing quotas for 2018, which will be decided at the October Agrifish Council meeting in Brussels.

The Council of EU fisheries ministers set 2017 fishing limits for four out of ten Baltic fish stocks above scientific limits, including a staggering 3.5 times the scientific advice for Western Baltic Cod, despite the fact that they were teetering on the edge of commercial collapse (1,2).

On August 29th, the European Commission released a proposal for fishing opportunities in 2018 to be considered by BALTFISH and the Council of Ministers, including a ban on European eel due and a rollover of the western Baltic cod Total Allowable Catch (TAC).

“Unfortunately, recent scandals about mismanagement of the Danish system for distribution of fishing rights by the Ministry for Food and Environment, confirm a tendency to prioritize the interests of a few powerful players in the fishing industry. Not only is this a problem for the future of the fishing industry, but also for the environment, as low impact fishermen have been struggling as a result. We urge the new Fisheries Minister, Karen Ellemann, to start restoring Denmark’s broken reputation by fighting to combat overfishing instead of feeding it,” says Magnus Eckeskog, oceans campaigner at Greenpeace.

“We are grateful to the Commission for finally moving forward on safeguarding the eel. Its now up to the Baltic member states to show how they interpret the Common Fisheries Policy and scientific advice on eel, and to commit to phase out a fishery on this endandgered species. It’s a no brainer that this is also the right thing to do across all EU nations,” said Nils Hoglund, Fisheries Policy Officer Coalition Clean Baltic.

German and Danish Governments are also under intense pressure from the trawler-dominated Baltic Sea Advisory Council, who are proposing a western Baltic cod limit of 8,597 tonnes, which includes an extra 3,000 tonnes under the auspices of eastern Baltic cod mixing in the western baltic zones. Environmental NGOs, the European Anglers Association and the Latvian fishing association voted against this quota transfer in the Baltic Sea Advisory Council, as it further threatens the vulnerable western Baltic cod stock and disenfranchises eastern Baltic countries of their fisheries rights. (3)

“Given that the iconic Western Baltic cod’s population is still at the second lowest levels since the early 1980s and the Commission has acknowledged that ending overfishing sooner will deliver the highest economic and social benefits, we are shocked that they have recommended a rollover of the Total Allowable Catch for 2018 that will perpetuate overfishing of these fish stocks. (4) The European Commission and Baltic governments are reminded that EU fisheries law requires an end to the delay and obfuscation around fishing limits in order to restore all fish stocks to healthy levels in EU waters,” concluded Hubbard.

ENDS

DOWNLOADS
Photo/video can be downloaded from http://bit.ly/BALTFISH17photo

SEE ALSO:
New Report Explores How Denmark Can Make Fisheries Fair and Sustainable
New report highlights Germany’s blind-spot for sustainable fisheries

NOTES:

  1. Western Baltic cod has been overfished for a number of years, so that even after a strong 2016 year class, stocks are still at the second lowest biomass levels since the early 1980s, and outside of safe limits for repopulating to a healthy state. ICES (2017), ICES Advice on fishing opportunities, catch, and effort, Baltic Sea Ecoregion. Published 31 May 2017. Cod.27.22-24
  2. New Economics Foundation (2017), Landing the Blame – Overfishing in the Baltic 2017.
  3. BSAC recommendations for the fishery in the Baltic Sea in 2018, retrieved from http://www.bsac.dk/BSAC-Resources/BSAC-Statements-and-recommendations/BSAC-recommendations-for-the-fishery-2018
  4. Communication from the Commission on the State of Play of the Common Fisheries Policy and Consultation on the Fishing Opportunities for 2018. COM(2017) 368 final

Contacts

Dave Walsh, Communications Advisor, dave@our.fish +34 691826764

Rebecca Hubbard, Program Director, rebecca@our.fish +34 657669425

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://www.ourfish.eu

 

 

New Report Explores How Denmark Can Make Fisheries Fair and Sustainable

Posted on August 30, 2017 by - Press Releases

Copenhagen, 30 August 2017: A report released today exploring Denmark’s role in overfishing within EU waters, finds that the country often portrayed as a green leader is delaying the environmental, social, and economic benefits that come from restoring and maintaining healthy fish stocks.

The report, How Denmark Can Make Fisheries Fair and Sustainable, co-authored by Our Fish and the New Economics Foundation, outlines how Denmark’s Government can end overfishing, address its quota scandal, and get in step with European fisheries law. Denmark can achieve this by setting fishing quotas according to scientific advice, allocating its fishing quota in a way that incentivises best environmental practices, and using national policy and the quota system to support vulnerable, low-impact fisheries during the transition to sustainable levels.

“The Danish government is the Baltic’s worst culprit when it comes to overfishing – in 2017, it topped the list of countries fishing above scientifically recommended limits, leading the public to believe that this is because of ‘socio-economics’. However, the figures tell a different story; not only would following scientific advice for fishing quotas bring higher economic returns sooner, but the current allocation of quotas benefits destructive trawlers that cause the biggest environmental impact while reaping significantly higher profits than low-impact coastal fishers,” said Our Fish Program Director Rebecca Hubbard.

How Denmark Can Make Fisheries Fair and SustainableRecent controversies in Denmark have put fishing quotas both on the news agenda and at the centre of Danish politics, after the withholding of information to Parliament on available options to limit the concentration of fishing quotas resulted in Minister Esben Lunde Larsen receiving a ‘nose’ (reprimand) and the fisheries portfolio being moved to a new Ministry in August 2017 [1]. A recent auditors’ report has also confirmed that very little information exists on quota concentration altogether [2].

 

Western Baltic Cod stocks have spend years teetering on the edge of collapse, yet Denmark has consistently set fishing limits above scientific advice (3,4). Danish officials will welcome representatives from all EU Baltic states at BALTFISH in Copenhagen this week to discuss their position on Baltic fishing quotas for 2018. Advice from the trawl industry-dominated Baltic Sea Advisory Council is pushing for western Baltic cod fishing quotas to be more than 3,000 tonnes above the upper end of scientific advice (5).

“With the latest scandal around quota management in Denmark, it appears that a stone has been left unturned, and discussion is now forming around how fishing quota should be managed in the public interest”, continued Hubbard. “Just as fishing limits should be sustainable, they should also be fair. Now is the time for the new Danish fisheries minister Karen Ellemann to seize the opportunity to both set fishing quotas at sustainable levels, and change the quota allocation system to prioritise low-impact coastal fishers, and better ensure their economic viability and ecological sustainability”.

The report, How Denmark Can Make Fisheries Fair and Sustainable can be downloaded from http://bit.ly/DKBaltic2017en

END

 

NOTES:

Jobs, vessels and quota numbers from Table 1 in the released report.

  1. CPH Post Online. (2017). Minister stripper of fishing duties. Retrieved from: http://cphpost.dk/news/minister-stripped-of-fishing-duties.html
  2. CPH Post Online. (2017). Police called in by auditors over fish quota irregularities. Retrieved from: http://cphpost.dk/news/police-called-in-by-auditors-over-fish-quota-irregularities.htm
  3. Western Baltic cod has been overfished for a number of years, so that even after a strong 2016 year class, stocks are still at the second lowest biomass levels since the early 1980s, and outside of safe limits for repopulating to a healthy state. ICES (2017), ICES Advice on fishing opportunities, catch, and effort, Baltic Sea Ecoregion. Published 31 May 2017. Cod.27.22-24
  4. New Economics Foundation (2017), Landing the Blame – Overfishing in the Baltic 2017.
  5. BSAC recommendations for the fishery 2018, retrieved from http://bsac.dk/BSAC-Resources/BSAC-Statements-and-recommendations/BSAC-recommendations-for-the-fishery-2018

Contacts

Dave Walsh, Communications Advisor, dave@our.fish +34 691826764

Rebecca Hubbard, Program Director, rebecca@our.fish +34 657669425

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://www.ourfish.eu

New report highlights Germany’s blind-spot for sustainable fisheries

Posted on August 28, 2017 by - Press Releases

Bonn, 28 August 2017: Despite its reputation as Europe’s moral leader on environmental issues, Germany’s continues overfishing in the Baltic Sea, thus delaying potentially large environmental, social, and economic benefits for its coastal communities that would come from regaining healthy fish stocks, according to a report published today.

The report, Germany’s blind-spot for sustainable fisheries, co-authored by Our Fish and the New Economics Foundation, outlines how the incoming German Government can end overfishing and get in step with European fisheries law by setting fishing quotas according to scientific advice, and by helping small-scale low-impact fishers with a fairer quota allocation system. Federal elections are due to take place on September 24th.

“The German government has repeatedly supported overfishing of western Baltic cod, leading the public to believe that this is because of ‘socio-economics’. However the figures tell a different story – not only would following scientific advice for fishing quotas bring higher economic returns sooner, but the current allocation of quotas benefits destructive trawlers that have the biggest environmental impact and the smallest contribution to jobs”, said Our Fish Program Director Rebecca Hubbard.

Germany’s blind-spot for sustainable fisheries“Of Germany’s two main fishing fleets who share western Baltic cod, the small-scale low-impact sector has access to just 35% of the quota and employs 747 people, whereas the heavily damaging trawl sector has 59%, but employs one fifth the number of people.” (1)

“By setting fishing limits at sustainable levels and changing the quota allocation system to prioritise small-scale low-impact fishers, the new German government can better ensure the economic viability and ecological sustainability of coastal communities.”

Western Baltic Cod stocks have spent years teetering on the edge of collapse, yet Germany has consistently set fishing limits above scientific advice (2,3). German officials will be meeting with representatives from all EU Baltic states at BALTFISH in Copenhagen this week to discuss their position on Baltic fishing quotas for 2018. Advice from the trawl industry-dominated Baltic Sea Advisory Council is pushing for western Baltic cod fishing quotas to be more than 3,000 tonnes above the upper end of scientific advice (4).

“The incoming German government needs to address this blind spot for sustainable fisheries by applying proper scrutiny to its national fisheries management. Germany needs urgent reform of how it allocates fisheries quotas if it is to comply with the spirit of the EU Common Fisheries Policy and play a leading role in ending overfishing of Europe’s waters”, concluded Hubbard.

The report, Germany’s blind-spot for sustainable fisheries can be downloaded from http://bit.ly/DEFishBaltic0817

END

NOTES:

  1. New Economics Foundation & Our Fish (2017), Germany’s blind post for sustainable fisheries.
  2. Western Baltic cod has been overfished for a number of years, so that even after a strong 2016 year class, stocks are still at the second lowest biomass levels since the early 1980s, and outside of safe limits for repopulating to a healthy state. ICES (2017), ICES Advice on fishing opportunities, catch, and effort, Baltic Sea Ecoregion. Published 31 May 2017. Cod.27.22-24
  3. New Economics Foundation (2017), Landing the Blame – Overfishing in the Baltic 2017.
  4. BSAC recommendations for the fishery 2018, retrieved from http://bsac.dk/BSAC-Resources/BSAC-Statements-and-recommendations/BSAC-recommendations-for-the-fishery-2018

Contacts

Dave Walsh, Communications Advisor, dave@our.fish +34 691826764

Rebecca Hubbard, Program Director, rebecca@our.fish +34 657669425

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://www.ourfish.eu