News

UK Fishermen’s Organisations Reject Greenpeace Report

1 February 2013

UK Fishing Body Says Inaccurate and Propaganda-based Research Runs Risk of Harming Livelihoods and Wider Economy

Letter from the NFFO to The Eurpoean Commission, June 2012

1 February 2013

I write further to your confirmation, at the recent meeting of ACFA, that the Commission is currently reviewing the arrangements within RACs to ensure that their composition reflects the various groups of stakeholders as closely as possible. I hope that the points made below are helpful to the Commission in understanding the issues involved.

NFFO Executive Plans Spring Work Priorities

28 January 2013

The NFFO Executive Committee met recently in York to plan the Federation’s work priorities for the next few months.

Technology and Partnership

15 January 2013

The recent workshop held in York, organised by the NFFO and Cefas, on different ways of delivering fully documented fisheries will result, in due course, in a report that will be of interest to a whole range of policy makers and industry sectors at a crucial juncture.

Something of a Revolution

3 January 2013

Something of a revolution in thinking about the CFP has taken place over the last decade. Ten years ago, although organisations like the NFFO and the Scottish Fishermen's Federation had been arguing for some time for a radical decentralisation of decision-making in the Common Fisheries Policy, the dominant view remained that tough measures designed in and applied from the centre, was the best, indeed the only way to turn the CFP around.

North East Salmon Net Fishery

3 January 2013

There is something uniquely mean-spirited and vindictive about the campaign by one of the richest power-blocks in this country to extinguish the small-scale net fishery for salmon and trout in the North East of England.

Busy Year Ahead

3 January 2013

The Federation faces a busy year ahead. It is always difficult to quickly summarise all the NFFO's activities but the list below (in no particular order of priority) provides a flavour of our main areas of work.

Workshop to consider ways to fully document fisheries catch

31 December 2012

The NFFO and Cefas are co-hosting a workshop for fishermen, scientists, managers and policy experts on 9-10 January 2013 as part of a cutting-edge Fisheries Science Partnership (FSP) project to evaluate ways of providing fully documented fisheries.

Fishing and Cables: Memorandum of Understanding

28 December 2012

The NFFO and Subsea Cables UK, the umbrella body for the companies which lay subsea communications and power cables, have jointly agreed a memorandum of understanding.

The NFFO: Mutuality, Realism and Self-Reliance

28 December 2012

The year-end is often a time for self-reflection. In this vein, it could be said that the NFFO is based on three main principles:

President’s Christmas Message Arnold Locker

22 December 2012

President of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations

December 2012 Fisheries Council Outcomes

21 December 2012

The noticeable feature of the NFFO team in Brussels at the December Council is that reflects and represents the true diversity of the UK fishing fleets.

European Parliament CFP Vote

20 December 2012

Commentators are still assessing the significance of the vote in the European Parliament Fisheries Committee in 18th December. It is probably too early to assess its real relevance.

Council Breakthrough on Flawed Cod Plan

18 December 2012

The Council of Ministers has today unanimously agreed to amend the parts of the EU Cod Plan which deal with setting quotas and days-at-sea limits. This vote provides a legal basis on which the Council can now apply a freeze on pre-programmed effort reductions in the North Sea, Irish Sea and West of Scotland. It also allows the Commission to argue for something other than a 20% cut in the North Sea cod TAC, when negotiations reopen with Norway. Today’s decision also allows the Council to break with the provisions of the Cod Management Plan in setting quotas in the Irish Sea and West of Scotland.

MCZ Public Consultation

17 December 2012

The MPA Fishing Coalition (MPAC) is calling on fishermen to make their voices heard in response to Defra’s formal public consultation on Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) proposals in English Waters that runs until 31st March.

WWF in Winter

17 December 2012

It is slightly strange that the relationship between WFF and the fishing industry varies by season....

Council of Ministers: A Tough Negotiation Ahead

14 December 2012

An NFFO delegation, reflecting the diversity of the Federation’s regional and fleet interests, this week met for a pre-council briefing with Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon.

Zero TACs

12 December 2012

Except in a single species fishery in urgent need of dramatic remedial action, zero TACs have no place in fisheries management.

Government Sanctions North East Net Fishery Property Grab

10 December 2012

Drift Net Fishery Axed

Handline Mackerel Assurances

10 December 2012

The NFFO and the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association have met to address fears over the reallocation of South West mackerel handline quota.

Ron Graham Re-elected as West Coast Committee Chairman

10 December 2012

Ron Graham was re-elected as Chairman of the NFFO West Coast Committee at its meeting in Whitehaven on 7th December 2012

European Parliament CFP Reform Amendments

5 December 2012

The fishing industry has an overwhelming interest in a practical and workable Common Fisheries Policy. Too often fisheries measures in the past have been legislated with minimal attention to how the policy might be successfully implemented to achieve its objectives.

NFFO Briefs MPs in Advance of the Annual Fisheries Debate

28 November 2012

A Federation delegation met recently with the All Party Parliamentary Fisheries Group to update MPs on the main fisheries policy developments, in preparation for the annual Fisheries Debate in Parliament, which this year will be held on 6th December

Oak Foundation and Fisheries Policy

26 November 2012

What are we to make of the astounding sums of money put at the disposal of environmental lobby groups working on European fisheries issues by the charity Oak Foundation?