IN BRIEF - LIFE OASIS: The Initiative That Will Revolutionize the Fight Against Ghost Fishing and Protect Sea Turtles in the Mediterranean
EUROPEAN UNION
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Science, the fishing sector, and conservation join forces to combat ghost fishing and protect marine biodiversity.
Ghost fishing and abandoned fishing gear, a silent threat to the fishing sector, find a response in an initiative co-financed by the European Union that seeks to transform the Mediterranean into an example of sustainability and collaboration.
The Mediterranean, a vital enclave for biodiversity and maritime activity, faces a challenge: every year, a considerable number of sea turtles can become trapped in lost or abandoned fishing gear (ALFG). However, this is not the only risk factor for them. As a sea shared by multiple countries and in which various fleets operate, the protection of its ecosystem requires coordinated action and shared responsibility.
This situation not only impacts biodiversity, but also the sustainability of fisheries and maritime safety. To respond to this problem, LIFE OASIS is born, a pioneering project that combines technology, research and direct collaboration with the fishing and maritime sector at an international level.
The European fishing industry association, Europêche, met with Maria Martin-Prat, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Trade (DG Trade), and her team responsible for Asia and trade policy coordination. The dialogue focused on ensuring fair market conditions for EU seafood producers in the ongoing trade negotiations, especially with Thailand and North Atlantic partners, and on ensuring that trade liberalization does not undermine the competitiveness, sustainability, and social standards of the fishing sector.
Source: Industrias Pesqueras | Read the full article here
The spread and danger of avian flu has forced the Spanish government to extend poultry confinement measures to all 313 municipalities in Galicia and, by extension, to chicken coops throughout Spain. The objective is clear, as highlighted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: "to prevent chickens from sharing waterers or food" with wild animals and, ultimately, to try to contain the spread of the disease.
This is so difficult to achieve that the disease has reached one of the most remote inhabited places in the world, which is also a kind of homeland for Galicia: the Falkland Islands. All 16 Falkland Islands-flagged vessels engaged in the loligo squid fishery have ownership stakes held by companies based in Vigo and Marín.
Author: Lara Graña / Faro de Vigo | Read the full article here
Proximar on track for biomass target as refinancing strengthens balance sheet.
Proximar Seafood reported a further ramp-up of production at its land-based salmon facility in Japan in the third quarter of 2025, and said it remains on track to reach a year-end biomass target of around 2,000 tonnes live weight.
The company harvested 356 tonnes HOG in the quarter, taking total harvest volume since September 2024 to 1,200 tonnes HOG. The superior share in the period was 99.2 percent, with survival in grow-out, including incidents, above 99 percent.
Source: SalmonBusiness | Read the full article here
Fish are sought-after marine ingredient for aquafeed
Peruvian authorities have announced that the quota for the second anchovy fishing season in the North-Centre of Peru is bigger than first guided, at 1.63 million tonnes.
Oil-rich anchovies are regarded as the gold standard for inclusion in feed for salmon and other farmed fish.
Source: fishfarmingexpert | Read the full article here
Chilean salmon venture BluGlacier has joined the National Fisheries Institute's (NFI) Sushi Council, adding another member to the newer but growing organization.
The council is a precompetitive organization hosted by NFI to support the U.S. sushi industry. The organization includes stakeholders from across the sector, including growers, harvesters, processors, importers, distributors, retailers, and foodservice operators. Launched in 2024 with 26 founding members, the council has continued to bring more companies involved in the sushi value chain into its fold.
Launched as a joint venture between Chilean salmon-farming firms Salmones Blumar and Ventisqueros in 2016, BluGlacier helps provide pathways for U.S. buyers to access Chilean salmon.
Author: Nathan Strout /SeafoodSource | Read the full article here
Tilapia prices experienced a sharp increase in October, driven by reduced domestic supply and a significant surge in exports.
Researchers at Cepea attribute the constrained supply primarily to a shortage of fingerlings for restocking and milder-than-expected temperatures this year, both contributing to lower production volumes.
Click on the image to enlarge it
The impact was immediate in Paraná:
Northern Paraná saw the average price hit R$ 9.19/kg (approximately $1.73/kg using the October average exchange rate of $0.1888967 per R$), an increase of 7.79% from September.
Despite substantial rainfall, Southwest China's Guizhou province faces a chronic surface water scarcity due to its unique karst limestone landscape. The soluble bedrock causes rain to rapidly seep into underground rivers and caves, severely impacting rural areas.
Photo: CHINA DAILY
To combat this, authorities are prioritizing large-scale water conservation projects, focusing on both infrastructure and ecological restoration to enhance both the environment and local livelihoods.
In Cuiwei village, Longli county, a small watershed soil conservation project is turning rocky liabilities into assets. The project tackles issues like soil erosion, which previously washed valuable soil into rivers, causing siltation and pollution downstream.
According to Chen Yingxuan, a staff member at the Longli county water resources bureau, the county launched an eco-friendly, integrated soil conservation project in 2022. This comprehensive approach manages, maintains, and utilizes the mountains to catch and conserve every precious drop of water.
Wärtsilä is set to significantly expand its main spare parts distribution centre in Kampen, the Netherlands, by 40%. This strategic move, which includes consolidating nearby leased facilities, directly supports the solid growth of Wärtsilä's global service business.
The expansion is a response to the service business's growing demand, with order intake surging by 68% between 2020 and 2024. By increasing capacity, Wärtsilä aims to accelerate global deliveries, reduce order-to-delivery time, and enhance logistics efficiency for its marine and energy customers.
“The expansion... enables us to accelerate global deliveries, enhance our services to customers, and improve logistics efficiency,”said Stefan Wiik, Vice President, Parts and Fields Service, emphasizing the role of services in the decarbonization of the marine and energy sectors.
Wärtsilä will invest €14 million in the project, with construction starting in early 2026 and commissioning scheduled for 2027.
The Kampen facility, established in 2009, operates 24/7/365 as Wärtsilä's primary global parts hub. It is also a key part of the company's sustainability efforts, already achieving a 67% reduction in plastic use since 2022 and utilizing fossil-free HVO100 fuel for domestic transport, cutting $\text{CO}_2$ emissions by 90%.
Presents its new corporate image in Cádiz, marking a new era
Conxemar, the Spanish Association of Wholesalers, Importers, Exporters, and Processors of Fishery and Aquaculture Products, has undergone a transformation. More so on the outside than the inside, as it will remain the same "modern, open, and global organization"—in the words of its president, Eloy García—that it was until recently. But as of Wednesday, it has a new brand image. And this renewal represents a turning point. Not only for Conxemar, but "for the entire seafood value chain in Spain and Europe," as Isabel Artime, Secretary General of Fisheries, stated. For the organization headed by García, this marks the beginning of a new phase
Source: La Voz de Galicia | Read the full article here
Spain and China have strengthened their agri-food collaboration with the signing of three new protocols that benefit the aquaculture and fisheries sector, as well as the pork sector. This took place during the State Visit of the King and Queen of Spain to the People's Republic of China.
According to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, these agreements "consolidate mutual health confidence and expand export opportunities for the Spanish agri-food sector."
Two of the three signed protocols affect the aquaculture and fisheries sector in Spain.
Source: iPac.aquacultura | Read the full article here
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The European fishing industry association, 
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The spread and danger of avian flu has forced the Spanish government to extend poultry confinement measures to all 313 municipalities in Galicia and, by extension, to chicken coops throughout Spain. The objective is clear, as highlighted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: "to prevent chickens from sharing waterers or food" with wild animals and, ultimately, to try to contain the spread of the disease.
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Proximar on track for biomass target as refinancing strengthens balance sheet.
PERU
Fish are sought-after marine ingredient for aquafeed
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The council is a precompetitive organization hosted by NFI to support the U.S. sushi industry. The organization includes stakeholders from across the sector, including growers, harvesters, processors, importers, distributors, retailers, and foodservice operators. Launched in 2024 with 26 founding members, the council has continued to bring more companies involved in the sushi value chain into its fold.
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CHINA
NETHERLANDS
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Spain and China have strengthened their agri-food collaboration with the signing of three new protocols that benefit the aquaculture and fisheries sector, as well as the pork sector. This took place during the State Visit of the King and Queen of Spain to the People's Republic of China.
