News - Page 9 of 40

Preparations Ramp Up for the December Council

12 December 2019

A final meeting with senior Defra officials, before government and industry delegations head for Brussels for the Council of Ministers, was held in London this week. The Council which will set total allowable catches and quotas for 2020, will be held on 16th and 17th December 2019. The NFFO has been working with fisheries scientists and administrators throughout the year but naturally, the engagement intensifies as the critical decisions approach.

North Sea Cod Q&A

9 December 2019

North Sea cod is regarded by many as an iconic stock. After the gadoid outburst* in the 1960s and 1970s, when a huge increase in abundance of cod-related species was observed, cod recruitment returned to more average levels by the 1980 and 1990s. By that time the stock also faced fleet overcapacity after a subsidised building boom leading to a high fishing mortality and a chaotic management system. Fleet decommissioning in the late 1990s right-sized the fleets and from 2005 or thereabouts (leaving aside the blind alley of effort control) more sensitive (and effective) management measures were adopted. From 2000 there was a dramatic reduction in fishing pressure and from then to 2015 the stock biomass increased steadily annually. This changed again around 2015, two years after the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.

Major Shellfish Policy Initiative Launched

29 November 2019

Shellfish interests from across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands met recently in London to form a cross-industry working group. The intention is for the group to work collaboratively with fisheries scientists and government, to define a strategy which would deliver sustainable and profitable shellfisheries for the future. The group is focused on the pot fisheries for crab, lobster and whelk without losing sight of the wider fisheries management context.

NFFO Launches 2019 Manifesto: A Fair Deal for the UK Fishing Industry

26 November 2019

The NFFO has today, launched its fishing manifesto which consists of three key themes; independence, fairness, and sustainability and collaboration.

Industry Initiative on North Sea Cod

25 November 2019

One of the few bright spots in the depressing downturn of the North Sea cod stock has been the way that the fishing industries of the countries affected have taken ownership of the problem - and worked collaboratively to develop workable solutions. This is the first time that the fishing associations right across the North Sea, including Norway, which is outside the EU and CFP, have cooperated in a collegiate way.

Withdrawal Agreement and Beyond

21 October 2019

Leaving aside the possibility of a hiccup in these politically turbulent times, it is now possible that the UK will leave the EU on 31st October, or shortly after, within the context of the UK/EU withdrawal agreement settled in Brussels last week.

Important milestone in the use of fishermen’s information

17 October 2019

A report, recently published by ICES, marks an important milestone in the incorporation of information generated by the fishing industry itself into the stock assessment process. The report follows an important meeting of scientists and industry representatives earlier in the year, in Copenhagen, during which industry representatives described the many forms that industry/science partnerships are already taking and could take in the future.

Get ready for Brexit

15 October 2019

HM Government has published a checklist for fishing vessels in the event that the UK leaves the EU on 31st October 2019.

Inshore Conference Points the Way

14 October 2019

An industry-led initiative to focus attention on the future management of our inshore fisheries has been judged a major success. Fishermen from various parts of the coast, industry representatives, senior government officials and the IFCAs, used the two-day conference in London to discuss the challenges and opportunities faced in managing the inshore sector. Experts were brought in from Canada, US, Norway and New Zealand to offer insights from the experience from inshore fisheries there. Work will now begin on converting the conference conclusions into a blueprint for the sector, although it is highly unlikely that there will be a one-size -fits-all approach.

Fishing Quota Allocation: Developing a new approach for allocating additional fishing quota in England

7 October 2019

Defra have consulted on how any additional quota, obtained as the UK renegotiates its fisheries relationship with the EU as it leaves the Common Fisheries Policy, should be distributed. The NFFO have submitted the following response.

The Future of Our Inshore Fisheries

5 August 2019

The Future of Our Inshore Fisheries Conference will be held in London on 8th/9th October. Your views are important.

The Seafood Innovation Fund

19 July 2019

A new £10 million fund designed to stimulate innovation in the seafood sector to help meet the challenges ahead has been launched. The Seafood Innovation Fund is now open for applications.

North Sea Cod – Disappointment

1 July 2019

Disappointment is almost inadequate as a term to describe the news that once again the iconic North Sea cod stock is in trouble. After a decade and a half in which the stock has been slowly but steadily increasing, the biomass is again in steep decline.

Brussels Takes Stock of Landing Obligation

18 June 2019

A seminar in Brussels, organised recently by the European Commission, was held to take stock of the EU landing obligation, which came fully into force for demersal species on 1st January 2019. Around 100 participants presented their views on how the landing obligation was being implemented, what problems remained and what lessons were being learned.

Landing Obligation Forum

14 June 2019

A series of meetings between regulators and the fishing industry, to discuss the implementation issues arising from the landing obligation, have now been formalised as the "Landing Obligation Forum." Another name for the forum could be an "in-year implementation/solutions group."

The Future of Inshore Fishing

12 June 2019

The political profile of the fishing industry stands at its highest point since the Cod Wars in the 1970s. This heightened political and public profile provides an opportunity to put our inshore fisheries on the pathway to a sustainable and profitable future. Too often the issues confronting our inshore fisheries have been mired in disinformation and placed in the “too difficult” box.

Fixed Quota Allocations and Sustainable Fishing

3 June 2019

The NFFO’s members span all sizes of vessel and so must be scrupulously fair when it comes to the controversial issue of quota distribution, which has been raised as the Fisheries Bill passes through Parliament. This detailed paper argues that despite some flaws, Fixed Quota Allocations have played a central role in putting fishing in the UK on a sustainable basis. It also makes the point that the challenges currently facing the small-scale inshore fleets have little to do with the FQA system itself and cautions against abandoning a tried and tested approach.

Third Tranche of Marine Conservation Zones

31 May 2019

An evidence-based approach and good location choice continues to be critical to the success of marine conservation, as the government announces the designation of a further 41 Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) in English waters.

Landing Obligation: Six Months in

24 May 2019

It’s early days for the landing obligation, given the magnitude of the changes involved. Ongoing patience and application will be required to address the many outstanding issues, as the new policy is fully integrated into the fisheries management system. The signs are, however, that the fishing industry is responding to the new incentive; improvements in selectivity and avoidance behaviours are widespread.

Wilful Ignorance

16 May 2019

We liked this antidote by Sustainable Fisheries UB to George Monbiot’s “wilful ignorance” published recently in the Guardian.

NFFO AGM

26 April 2019

Fisheries Minister, Robert Goodwill, will address the industry at the NFFO’s annual general meeting in May. The event will also provide an opportunity for members to raise issues from the floor.

NFFO AGM

26 April 2019

Fisheries Minister, Robert Goodwill, will address the industry at the NFFO’s annual general meeting in May. The event will also provide an opportunity for members to raise issues from the floor.

NFFO Calls for a Rethink on Catch Reporting for under-10 metre vessels

9 April 2019

The NFFO backs the need for improved catch reporting but says the Government’s proposed approach has not been well-though through.

Parliamentary Support for the Fishing Industry

3 April 2019

At a critical juncture in the Brexit process, around 70 parliamentarians gathered yesterday at an event in the Palace of Westminster, organised by the NFFO and the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation. The event was designed to provide a platform through which parliamentarians could express support for the fishing industry. Fisheries Minister, Robert Goodwill addressed the event, as did Shadow Fisheries Minister, Luke Pollard and Lib-Democrat Fisheries Spokesman, Alistair Carmichael.