The trilateral arrangement on jointly managed fisheries stocks in the North Sea for 2021 establishes the total allowable catches (TAC) and quota sharing covering over 636,000 tonnes of fish. In parallel, the EU and Norway have concluded bilateral consultations for the shared stocks in the North Sea, Skagerrak and quota exchanges.
The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) discussed how to rebuild the yellowfin tuna stock in the Indian Ocean during a special session, which took place from 8 to 12 March.
The Commission’s Joint Research Centre has released a new section on its Knowledge for Policy pages, specifically dedicated to algae. The webpage contains facts and figures about algae biomass production in Europe, including a dashboard with production locations. It also links up to ongoing research projects, recent publications and other useful information.
On 3 and 4 March 2021, the EU and Seychelles met to review the implementation of the first year of application of the new Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) and its six years implementing Protocol, and to discuss mechanisms to strengthen their cooperation and common efforts towards sustainable fisheries.
The UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) has just released a new guidance on blue finance to help banks, insurers and investors take action on the transition of ocean sectors to a sustainable future.
Capraia is a small island in the upper Tyrrhenian Sea, in the Tuscan Archipelago National Park between Italy and the island of Corsica. Measuring just 8 km by 4 km and located about 70 km off the coast of Tuscany, the Capraia is home to about 300 people.
The Cabo de Palos Marine Reserve is the oldest marine reserve in the region of Murcia, Spain. Its status as a protected area since 1995 has favoured a thriving marine life. Murcia is a region of exceptional marine biodiversity, which enjoys a high level of protection, including 12 Natura 2000 sites and two Marine Protected Areas (MPA).
Small-scale fisheries (SSF) account for 50% of the global catch and 95% of the world’s fishers. In the EU, SSF make up 85% of all fishing vessels and have a fundamental role to play from a biodiversity, economic and social perspective.
The European Union’s request to accede to the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC) was accepted at its sixth annual session, which closed on Thursday 25 February 2021.
With the European Union stepping up efforts to address overfishing in the Mediterranean, the latest episode of Ocean visits the Fisheries Restricted Area (FRA) of Jabuka/Pomo Pit, a success story in the Adriatic established to protect essential fish habitats.
International Ocean Governance (IOG) plays a crucial role in fostering healthy oceans, halting the loss of biodiversity and fighting climate change. The EU is committed to strengthening the resilience of ocean and of the societies and economies depending from them.
The Commission, leading the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing worldwide, has issued a warning (so-called yellow card) to Cameroon that it should step up its actions against IUU fishing.
What is IUU fishing? IUU stands for illegal, unreported or unregulated fishing.
Join the premiere event of the new interactive EUMOFA Talks series. In this episode, experts will shed light on cutting-edge innovations in the blue bioeconomy and present the outlook for the sector in Europe.
The European Commission is preparing a comprehensive cross-sectoral EU algae initiative. The aim of the initiative is to increase the sustainable production, consumption and use of algae and algae-based products. Because of their small carbon and environmental footprint, raising the profile of algae will help achieve the objectives of the European Green Deal, the transition to a green, circular and carbon-neutral EU.
On 10 February 2021, the European Union and the Gabonese Republic established a new Protocol to their Fisheries Agreement. The Agreement allows European Union vessels to access Gabonese waters for a period of 5 years and contributes to the development of the Gabonese fisheries sector.
The impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the seafood sector dominated the 34th Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI), 1-5 February 2021. Across the world, market disruption has hit fisheries and aquaculture hard, adversely affecting the livelihoods of fishers and seafood farmers. At the same time, the pandemic has underscored the vital contribution of the sector to the global economy, to nutrition and to food security.
Commissioner Sinkevičius represented the EU in the General Assembly of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), on 5 February 2021. The EU has become the latest member of this global partnership for the conservation of the world’s coral reefs.
The European Commission has launched ‘Taste the Ocean’, a brand new social media campaign in which top chefs promote the consumption of sustainably caught or produced fish and seafood.
Ministers from the 42 Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) countries have agreed to intensify their efforts towards a sustainable blue economy in the Mediterranean. Doing so, they want to promote the recovery of the region’s economies from the COVID-19 crisis, and address the environmental and climate challenges.
