September 5, 2019 — A new report commissioned by the advocacy group Our Fish suggests that ending overfishing will help the oceans weather the effects of climate change.
Overfishing is weakening the oceans’ ability to adapt, the report argues. Healthier oceans will better withstand the disturbances wrought be climate change.
July 12, 2019 — A new website launched by the NGO Our Fish aims to provide a confidential, anonymous and secure way for people working in the E.U. fishing industry, public authorities or other areas to report what they believe are improper, unethical or illegal fishing practices.
“We created Fishyleaks to help those who want to share information with us, in a confidential, anonymous and secure manner,” Rebecca Hubbard, Our Fish program director, said. “Europe’s fisheries are a common resource, for the benefit of all citizens, that should be managed sustainably and legally to ensure the future of coastal communities, food security and ocean health in the face of the climate crisis. Fishyleaks aims to provide a platform for people who witness activity that undermines these important aspirations, so that they can share that information, while minimizing risk to themselves.”
Fishyleaks.eu provides examples of the kind of report that could prove useful to achieving legal and sustainable fisheries. The website asks whistleblowers whether they believe they have witnessed illegal or unethical activities, or witnessed improper practice at sea, such as illegal discarding or high-grading.
“Our Fish often receives news of infringements, but lack the evidence to prove it. By receiving information via Fishyleaks, we hope to expose the problems in the sector, so that we can push for solutions,” she said
May 29, 2019 — The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Oceana, Coalition Clean Baltic and Our Fish are calling for the European Commission and various countries’ fishing ministers to block the fishing of western Baltic herring and eastern Baltic cod altogether in 2020.
The groups say they are responding to scientific advice provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), which on Wednesday warned that both species are in a “dire state” and should not be fished.
ICES also warned that the number of young western Baltic cod entering the fishery in 2018 and 2019 are the lowest on record and suggested their catch allowances be set to the lowest levels.
December 20, 2018 — Overfishing in EU waters, and the wasteful practice of discarding edible fish at sea, should come to an end from next year, as reforms to the common fisheries policy (CFP) are implemented after seven years of wrangling.
But disputes among member states over rights to dwindling fish stocks mean that key aspects of the plans to improve management of European fisheries are floundering.
From January, the landing obligation should mean that all fish netted are brought to shore instead of thrown away if they exceed a vessel’s quota. By 2020, all stocks should be subject to quotas based on scientific judgments of the maximum sustainable yield, not annual horse-trading among politicians.
However, as fisheries ministers met in Brussels for quota negotiations on Wednesday, it was clear these long-promised reforms would not be implemented in the way campaigners had hoped. Also, there were signs that the UK would face more difficult negotiations after Brexit, as shared waters make up most of the productive seas fished by UK fleets.
The European commission is struggling to insist on the discard ban, against the wishes of some member states. A spokesman said: “The commission has put forward concrete solutions to advance on sustainable fishing and to ease the implementation of the landing obligation, but we cannot do it without the support of the member states.”