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Ecuador has joined the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) as a non-Contracting Cooperating Party, the conservation body announced. As a result, Ecuador can now catch Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides), obtain registration and certification of origin, and export the tightly regulated fish to markets around the world. The species is often marketed as Chilean seabass, regardless of the country of origin. Patagonian toothfish is a threatened species, owing in large part to IUU fishing. It is a large fish and grows slowly, making it susceptible to overfishing in general, and IUU fishing greatly exacerbates the problem. Therefore, CCAMLR has taken responsibility for international regulation of Patagonian toothfish and requires countries to register exports in its Catch Documentation System (SDC).

The overcapacity in Europe’s salmon feed market is causing at least one major feed producer to close its production operations in the UK. Norway-based Skretting, a Nutreco subsidiary, operates production facilities in 19 countries worldwide, including one each in Scotland and England. However, a rival, Marine Harvest Scotland, is opening a plant in the spring of 2019, which Skretting estimates will raise UK capacity by more than 50% over market demand, leading to unsustainably low prices. Skretting said it isn’t planning on stopping production in other EU markets; indeed, the company continues to grow, based on a strategy of matching local aquafeed markets with local production is closely as possible. The principal market, the global farmed salmon sector, is as highly competitive as the feed sector, and experiences production shifts of its own, which feed suppliers must adapt to. “Aquaculture is an increasingly important and attractive solution to meet growing demand for healthy food,” the company’s announcement said, but to ensure sustained profitability “tough decisions” must be made, referring to the impacts on around 100 employees as well as customers and suppliers.

13-15 November 2018Regional Conference on River habitat restorationfor inland fisheries in the Danube river basinand adjacent Black Sea areasBucharest,…

Shrimp farmers in India are facing a double whammy this winter, as buyers in a glutted global market are offering prices that are below farmers’ production costs,…

A new report from the European Commission provides the latest evidence that marine protected areas (MPAs) not only encourage rejuvenation of depleted fish stocks, they can encourage economic activity and new jobs as well. The report, "Economic Benefits of Marine Protected Areas and Spatial Protection Measures", examines ten case studies among the dozens of MPAs that have been created in EU waters. There are numerous examples of business activities in fishing, tourism, passenger shipping, and the blue economy itself, all spurred by, or even dependent upon, the existence of MPAs. Direct benefits of MPAs on fishing activities include increased abundance of larger, healthier fish, which leads to higher prices. Greater stock abundance reduces fishing costs and improves efficiency. Fish from an MPA can often receive an eco-certification, also leading to higher prices. Benefits to the tourism sector arise from increased numbers of visitors and their length of stay, as well as extension of the tourism season, all of which mean higher incomes to sectors providing goods and services to tourists. MPAs encourage recreational activities such as SCUBA diving and sport fishing, further adding to local financial benefits.

Between 13-14 November 2018, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and International Organization for the Development of Fisheries and Aquaculture in Europe (EUROFISH),…

EUROFISH managed a FAO project for technical services in support of the development and implementation of FAO’s field programme in the area of fisheries and aquaculture.…