French Minister Hervé Berville has called for dialogue between the European Commission and the United Kingdom regarding recent decisions to expand marine protected areas (MPAs), which impact French fishing vessels’ activities in certain zones.

Speaking during the informal meeting of the Council of Fisheries Ministers of the European Union, Minister Berville emphasised the need for swift engagement between the Commission and London in response to the fishing ban imposed by the UK.

The French Minister warned the meeting, ”The Commission must enter into dialogue with London as soon as possible.”

While unable to attend the informal Council held in Bruges due to travel commitments in French Guiana, Secretary of State for the Sea and Biodiversity, Hervé Berville, voiced concerns over the fishing restrictions announced by the UK government.[continues...]

Author: Oliver McBride / The Fishing Daily

The disclosure was made by Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday at his weekly press conference.

The VP was asked by a report of this publication if he can say whether the French vessel that the President spoke of, that will be patrolling the waters, saving the country $100M has arrived? Jagdeo said that, “It has not. But this is the estimate. Remember when we were talking about policing our exclusive economic zone so we do have to look at it. It’s estimated that we can lose as much as $100M per year from illegal fishing in our waters. This is deep sea though.”

The Vice President explained that investing in additional assets for the Guyana Defence Force will help curb illegal fishing. It was previously reported in the media that government was in talks with French officials in relation to having a large ship stationed in Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone. This is to facilitate the prevention of hundreds of millions in losses due to illegal fishing.

Source: Kaieteur News

The Norwegian Seafood Council has a new envoy to help promote the industry in France, one of the country’s main salmon markets.

She is 41-year-old Sigrid Louise G. Philippart (pictured) who is coming into the world of fish from the energy industry.

Author: Vince McDonagh / Fish Farmer l Read the full article here

Se trata del buque Nuevo Luz Alba, con base en Santander, que fue remolcado a Celeiro

Este Jueves Santo, con temporal costero en la costa, efectivos de Salvamento Marítimo rescataron al mediodía a seis tripulantes del buque Nuevo Luz Alba, con base en Santander y bandera mauritana, al quedarse a la deriva el pesquero a unas 15 millas de Burela.

Fuente: La Voz de Galicia l Lea el articulo completo aqui

The Taiwanese fishing industry hosted a delegation led by U.S. Department of Labor Deputy Undersecretary Thea Lee to “gain more practical understanding” of Taiwan's efforts to enhance the rights of migrant crew members onboard its distant-water fishing vessels.

During a visit from 26 February to 1 March, Lee took part in workshops and meetings to address labor issues, and she met with Taiwan’s ministry of labor

Author: Mark Godfrey / SeafoodSource  l Read the full article here

New research gives a deep dive on how Scottish seafood Is performing across the UK

Key opportunities for Scottish producers lie in the youth market, and innovative snacking or convenience products
Consumers are more likely to buy a seafood product labelled as ‘from Scotland’
Salmon retains nearly half of the seafood market, despite being hit hardest by inflation

Source: Fish Focus l Read the full article here

Australia has sought details of India's fisheries programmes such as the policy objective, budget expenditure and coverage. At a meeting at the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Tuesday, it also asked if there are performance requirements such as export or production-based targets attached to payments or loans under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

Besides the duration of the programme, it wants details on the background, authority, forms of subsidies, policy objective or purpose and a confirmation whether the PMMSY supersedes the Blue Revolution: Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries. The questions were raised after the WTO members failed to reach an agreement on fisheries subsidies at the 13th ministerial conference in Abu Dhabi last month.

Click photo to know about PMMSY

Australia sought confirmation on whether one of the objectives of PMMSY in relation to marine fishing is especially to harness tuna resources both in India's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and the high seas. EEZs are areas up to 200 nautical miles from the shore and beyond that are the high seas. "Australia wants to know the coverage of this fisheries plan and if it covers aquaculture as well as marine capture fishing," said an official, who did not wish to be identified.

Another set of questions raised by Australia relates to India's programme on conversion of trawlers into resource specific deep-sea fishing vessels.[...]

Author/Source: Kirtika Suneja / ET Bureau

According to the unaudited consolidated reports for Q4 of 2023, Cromaris achieved a significant milestone, generating revenue of €105 million from the sales of goods and services, marking a remarkable 10% increase compared to the previous year, and our sales volume reached 13,610 tons of fresh fish equivalent.

Maintaining our strong presence in international markets, we continue to excel with 88% of our sales volume and revenue coming from overseas markets.

Diving into our diversified product portfolio, which accounted for 36% of our revenue in 2023, processed products, including packaged and gutted fish, saw the most significant surge in growth.

Despite facing challenges such as increased prices in key procurement categories, notably fish feed, our operational performance remains strong. Our EBITDA reached €12.6 million, showcasing a 15% increase and our net profit of €3.8 million in 2023, marked an impressive 57% growth.

Source: Cromaris PR

The National Fisheries Authority (NFA) of Papua New Guinea (PNG) has announced significant advancements in the country's fisheries sector.

NFA has set ambitious targets to increase export values across various seafood categories, including crab, prawn, lobster, reef fish, and seaweed. Notably, a focus is placed on enhancing the tuna fishery.

This involves increasing tuna landings, expanding downstream processing, establishing new processing plants, and investing in commercial-scale cold storage facilities to support exports.

NFA Managing Director Justin Ilakini expressed his enthusiasm stating, "These initiatives will not only drive economic growth but also ensure food security and support the livelihoods of our communities. We are excited to have our dedicated staff on board, committed to making these goals a reality through their hard work and tireless efforts."

Embarking on a transformative policy shift, NFA aims to boost competitiveness, diversification, and value addition in the industry.

Despite challenges, NFA has implemented cost management measures and expenditure controls for the fiscal year 2024, emphasizing financial responsibility and prudent decision-making at all levels.

In the spirit of Easter, NFA extends warm greetings to all its staff and everyone. "May this season of reflection and renewal bring you joy, peace, and blessings as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ," said Ilakini.