International & Trade

The executive director of the Association of Seafood Producers says the fishery is broken, and he hopes that the Conservative party’s new majority government will give them the ability to fix it.

Derek Butler opened his address to the Rotary Club of St. John’s weekly luncheon by noting the recent political upheaval in the Middle East, before wryly noting, “I’m optimistic that we will see substantial political reform and change in the Middle East, sadly, perhaps, before we’ll see it in the Newfoundland and Labrador fishery.”

The fishery is broken, Butler told the crowd, citing a litany of fights over pricing and quotas, occupied government offices — including the recent occupation of DFO offices in Corner Brook — and $700,000 spent on a memorandum of understanding that Butler called “dead on arrival.”

Read the complete story from The Telegram.

 

 

 

 

 

ST. JOHN, New Brunswick — The head of the Atlantic Salmon Federation says Canada is failing to protect its dwindling salmon population and is calling for a ban on the ocean harvest of the wild Atlantic fish.

On the heels of one of the worst salmon returns in history, Bill Taylor says large egg-bearing females that seed rivers across the northeastern seaboard need to be protected.

Many wild salmon are caught in gill nets off Greenland, Labrador and St. Pierre and Miquelon during their migration to and from North American rivers.

Several organizations, including the Atlantic Salmon Federation, want a complete ban on the harvesting of salmon in the ocean.

Read the complete story from the Bangor Daily News.

 

 

 

 

 

US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke decided that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has “overstepped the bounds of propriety and fairness” and will thus return USD 649,527 in fishery enforcement penalties to 11 individuals or businesses.

The move follows years of complaints from fishers, businesses and elected officials alleging that NOAA’s practices are unfairly harsh.

Locke acted on 30 problematic cases reviewed by the Special Master, Judge Charles Swartwood III. “Enforcement has to be fair, uniform and consistent. I accepted all of the Special Master's recommendations in every instance where I have authority to do so under Magnuson-Stevens Act, and in some cases I went beyond the Special Master’s recommendation,” said Locke.

Read the complete story from FIS World News.

 

 

 

 

 

A leading North American environmental group stepped up its push this week for an international moratorium on commercial fishing in the central Arctic Ocean.

In an appeal to countries around the world — but particularly to Canada and the four other Arctic coastal nations — the U.S.-based Pew Environment Group and its Nunavut offshoot Oceans North Canada are warning that retreating sea ice could trigger a potentially destructive fishing industry in international Arctic waters.

The group, which wants a “precautionary” global treaty signed to pre-empt overfishing and to ensure science-based management of any central Arctic Ocean fish resources, took its message to the International Marine Conservation Congress this week in Victoria, B.C..

Read the complete story from Nunatsiaq Online.

 

 

 

 

 

Several environmental organizations — Greenpeace, Oceana, Pew Environment Group and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) – are calling for a strict control of bluefin tuna fishing, farming, export and import processes.

In addition, the closure of the purse seine fisheries is requested until bluefin tuna recovers, as well as to control industrial overfishing in tuna-fattening farms.

Furthermore, Greenpeace calls for the creation of a sanctuary for bluefin tuna in the south of the Balearic Islands, beyond 12 miles, as a spawning ground.

According to Celia Ojeda, responsible for the oceans in that NGO, this area is the most heavily exploited by Spanish vessels fishing for bluefin tuna.

Read the complete story from FIS Worldnews.

 

 

 

 

 

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Eastern Canadian fishermen have won a court-ordered review of taxes paid on fishing licence buyouts in a long-fought judgment that accuses the Canada Revenue Agency of unfair treatment.

The Federal Court ruling was cause for celebration in hundreds of outports in Newfoundland and Labrador, and along Quebec's north shore, where more than 750 fishermen say they were gouged.

"They paid their taxes in 2000," said their lawyer, Eli Baker. "They've been waiting all the way up to now to finally hear that a judge agrees with us.

In a bluntly worded ruling, Judge Elizabeth Heneghan says the Canada Revenue Agency's Newfoundland and Labrador tax director, Wade Hiscock, "breached the applicant's right to procedural fairness" when he declined to review the case.

Read the complete story by Sue Bailey of The Canadian Press at Google.

 

 

 

 

 

Lady Gaga's lobster hat is among the aquatic-inspired gladrags in a show that aims to raise awareness of overfishing.

When Lady Gaga wore a crystal-encrusted lobster hat last year, crustacean chic was seen as the height of fashion frivolity. Now, thanks to a new exhibition, ocean-inspired designs have been unexpectedly invested with serious meaning.

The Washed Up exhibition uses marine-inspired vintage and haute couture designs to highlight the potentially disastrous impact of overfishing in the world's oceans. The installation forms part of Project Ocean, a five-week programme of events at Selfridges in London. The department store is working with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) to raise awareness of the plight of marine life.

Read the complete story from The Guardian.

 

 

 

 

 

Fishing vessels are to be given long term quota shares guaranteed for periods of up to 15 years under radical proposals to reform the European Union Common Fisheries Policy.

The move, already adopted by countries like Iceland, was hinted at earlier this year, but they now appear to be confirmed in a European Commission draft, a copy of which was obtained by the BBC last night.

Environmental groups are already describing it as a virtual privatisation of the fishing grounds and some aspects are almost certain to attract criticism from fishing interests as well.

The full details will be published in July, but what is certain is that the practice of discards, much hated by fishermen and much criticised by environmentalists, will be outlawed.

Read the complete story from Fish Update.

 

 

 

 

 

Today, Mission Blue, Oceana and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) delivered a letter to President Obama calling for renewed U.S. leadership at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to end subsidies that contribute to overfishing.

In the letter, 77 prominent environmental leaders and groups, including conservation organizations Oceana and WWF, marine scientists Dr. Sylvia Earle and Dr. Daniel Pauly, and celebrity activists Leonardo DiCaprio, Chevy Chase and Darryl Hannah wrote, “The United States has played a strong role across successive administrations, to achieve new rules for fisheries subsidies at the WTO. Recent developments at the WTO may threaten to derail years of progress towards a successful result. We urge you at this important juncture to send clear and public signals that a genuine ‘win’ on fisheries subsidies remains a critical priority for the United States at the WTO.”

Citing government subsidies as one of the most important causes of the worldwide crisis of overfishing, the letter’s signatories highlighted the urgency and importance of reaching an agreement in the ongoing negotiations at the WTO.

“Now is the time to demonstrate that the WTO is an institution capable of achieving major environmental improvements for the global community. We urge you and your administration to demand a strong and timely fisheries agreement in any deal produced from the Doha Round,” continued the letter.

Read the complete story from Oceana.

 

 

 

 

 

In Monday’s paper, Elisabeth Rosenthal writes about efforts to make tilapia farming more sustainable. Americans consume 475 million tons of that fish a year, and careless aquaculture can damage the environment.

One commonly overlooked aspect is limiting waste, producing less garbage. A fish farm in Honduras, which is being evaluated for a sustainability certification by the newly formed Aquaculture Stewardship Council, has found a number of masterful solutions.

Aquafinca, a farm owned by Regal Springs Tilapia of Brandenton, Fla., puts every part of its farmed tilapia to use. Nothing is discarded.

Read the complete story from The New York Times.