Fisheries

International control is essential Climate models predict that the Arctic could be ice-free during the summer months by the middle of the century, allowing access to previously unused fishing grounds. What sounds positive on the surface poses considerable risks to the fragile ecosystems of the Arctic region.

The regulation of fisheries is an ancient practice dating back over 700 years. Seven hundred years ago, on the island that is now New Zealand, the Maori people – the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand – practiced some of the earliest fisheries management in the world.

For the past three years, WWF Adria, a regional WWF office for the Balkans with headquarters in Zagreb, Croatia, has been working in Telašćica Nature Park / Marine Protected Area (MPA), in the center of the Croatian coast.

The 5th International Arctic Forum was arranged in St. Petersburg, Russia on April 9-10, 2019. Titled Arctic: Territory of Dialogue, it brought together some 3 600 participants including top political figures, scientists, businesspeople, and NGOs. The forum comprised 33 sessions arranged into three broad themes

Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing for short) is one of the greatest threats to the sustainability of fishing, marine ecosystems, marine biodiversity, and human food security.

Higher profits through industrial and culinary usage With the exception of trout, dorade and a few other fish species that are traditionally prepared on the bone, fillets or loins are today the order of the day where enjoyment of fish is concerned. But that doesn’t mean that processing waste and other remains that are often overlooked are worthless:

A number of institutions are involved in deciding how much fish can be harvested from the sea Fishing quotas have an immediate impact on the players in the fisheries sector and the release of the numbers is closely watched by all concerned.

Climate change is having a deep impact on living conditions in the oceans. The average water temperature of the seas is rising, Polar ice is melting, water bodies are acidifying, water layers are more stable and mix less well, and low-oxygen zones are expanding. The effects of these changes are a source of increasing stress for fish stocks. Spatial shifting of populations and altered species composition within marine ecosystems are to be feared.

Europe has several wild and unspoilt areas that are a paradise for nature-lovers. The Baltic states and Poland with their abundant water and forests have among the best examples of such areas, which attract people from near and far. They come to interact with nature, to walk, gather mushrooms, hunt, and above all to fish.

The U.S. government in October released the latest edition of its annual statistical yearbook on commercial fisheries, Fisheries of the United States 2015. The annual report is the latest in a series going back many decades, and presents statistics on fish and shellfish species landings, production of leading seafood products, production of aquaculture and industrial products, U.S. exports and imports, and national per-capita consumption of major fisheries products. In addition, the report contains information on global production, trade, and consumption.