Displaying items by tag: fisheries

September / October 2020 EUROFISH Magazine 5
Country profile: Latvia, Tunisia
Aquaculture: Water of drinkable quality is becoming increasingly scarce - Aquaculture must reduce its water consumption
Processing: Value potential of many seafood products is not sufficiently exploited - Sustainable utilisation saves resources
Technology: Netting solutions for the aquaculture industry
Guest pages: Antonella Vassallo - The International Ocean Institute is dedicated to the peaceful, equitable, and sustainable use of the oceans

A new basis for international business

This article was featured in EUROFISH Magazine 4 / 2020.

“Blockchain” is for many people still little more than a buzzword they may have heard about in connection with the digital currency bitcoins. But in fact blockchain and artificial intelligence are developing into leading technologies that are “revolutionizing” many areas of the economy. Blockchains provide transparency, enable more control, and simplify traceability in business relationships.

Regulatory conditions have improved the last years

This article was features in EUROFISH Magazine 4 / 2020.

The regulatory framework under which the small-scale fishery in Denmark operates has gone through several changes over the last years. The revisions seek to secure its future, make it even more sustainable, and give young people an incentive to join.

It is just after 05.30 as the vessel leaves the harbour on a clear calm morning at the end of May. The sea is utterly still and Morten Krogh, a young coastal fisher, busies himself in the cabin pulling on oilskins and filling out his logbook as the boat pulls out. The vessel is sailing from Vedbæk, north of Copenhagen, along the Sound (Øresund), the narrow channel of water between the west coast of southern Sweden and northern part of Zealand, the largest Danish island. Vedbæk is one of some 50 Danish harbours that are part of havfriskfisk (literally, sea-fresh fish). Started in 2012, it is a website (www.havfriskfisk.dk) that enables consumers interested in fish straight from the sea to sign up to receive a text message. The SMS announces the arrival time of the vessel and the species for sale. The species vary slightly from season to season but cod and plaice are staples with turbot, brill, mackerel, and the odd sea trout available in spring and early summer, as well as cod and lumpfish roe in the first quarter of the year. Fishers like Morten Krogh use the facility to sell their catch to consumers without involving middlemen—a win-win situation for fisher and consumer alike.

Eurofish Magazine issue 4 2020 features the fisheries and aquaculture sectors in Denmark and Armenia. The Species section looks at Sea Cucumber.
Click here to read the latest issue of the magazine.
 

July / August 2020 EM4
Country profile: Denmark, Armenia
Events: Seafood Expo Asia
Trade and Markets: Protective measures for the European eel are beginning to pay off - Eel stocking must be further intensified
Species: Growing demand and attractive prices are accelerating overuse  - Many sea cucumber stocks are heavily overexploited
Guest pages: Dr Laszlo Varadi - Stronger inter-regional collaboration could promote sustainable aquaculture around the world - NACCEE encourages young professionals’ participation

Significant potential to be realised

This article was featured in EUROFISH Magazine 3 2020.

Capture fisheries production in Kazakhstan comes from the waters of the Caspian and Aral Seas, Balkhash, Zaysan lakes, Bukhtarma, Kapshagai, Shardara reservoirs, Alakol system of lakes and other ponds with a total area of over three million hectares. More than 70 fish species live here, including the most commercially valuable (zander, common carp, grass carp, silver carp, whitefish).

Globalisation will remain an indispensable part of the fish industry

This article was featured in EUROFISH Magazine 3 2020.

The coronavirus has largely brought public life to a standstill. Stock markets have plunged into the red, freedom of movement has been severely restricted in some places, and the consequences for the global economy are not foreseeable. One thing is certain, however: the longer the standstill lasts, the more profound will be the disruption in the global fish industry. Familiar market structures could change, raising fears and anxieties about the future for many of those affected.

Competition for fish is becoming increasingly international

This article featured in EUROFISH Magazine 3 2020.

The basic idea behind auctions is very old: the goods on offer will be sold to the highest bidder. This method – which is also used to auction fish and seafood – is as simple as it is successful. But the advancement of digital technologies is now making its mark in this area. Many auctions have completed the step into the modern age and are using the possibilities of the internet to prepare themselves for the global fish business.

In many regions of the world it is common practice for fishermen to sell what they catch to just one or only a few wholesalers. This can work, but it has the disadvantage that the fishermen are dependent on the trader and are sometimes not paid fairly because the trader dictates the prices. That is why quite a lot of fishermen consider auctions to be the better method for first hand sale in the fish marketing chain. The principle of auctioning fish catches and selling to the highest bidder is not new and has in some places proven itself for decades. The bell that heralded the opening of the daily fish auction in Honolulu rang for the first time in 1952, and the Tsukiji fish market which closed down just recently in Tokyo, where it counted 900 licensed traders who handled around 1,600 tonnes of fish and seafood a day, was opened as early as 1935. The roots of the Norwegian Sildesalgslag go back to 1927, and Sweden’s largest fish auction in the port of Gothenburg even dates back to 1910. The idea of bringing together suppliers and potential buyers for trading certain goods such as fish and seafood under regulated conditions offers several advantages from which fishermen, traders and ultimately consumers all benefit equally because a constant supply of fresh produce is guaranteed every day.

Croatia steers Presidency of the EU Council despite coronavirus

This article featured in EM 3 2020.

Holding the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union is a challenging task at the best of times. Despite being a small country, holding the Presidency for the first time, and facing a Europe-wide health and economic crisis, Croatia intends to make progress on key fisheries and aquaculture issues on its agenda, says Ante Misura, Assistant Minister with responsibility for fisheries in the Ministry of Agriculture.

Since the 1st of January, Croatia has taken over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. What are the main priorities for the fisheries sector on the agenda during the 6-month presidency, and are they going to be achieved, given the current Covid-19 crisis?

This is our first Presidency since becoming an EU Member State. It came at a time of many changes, with the new Commission and Parliament on board, and with the UK leaving the EU family. The Presidency often faces unplanned situations, but the Covid-19 crisis is without precedent in recent history. From a practical point of view, meetings at the Council could no longer take place as planned, and it has therefore been difficult to make progress within our 6-month term. In light of the crisis, our priority was to find a way to help the fishery and aquaculture sector to better cope with the consequences of the pandemic. In close cooperation with the Commission and the Parliament, we managed to adopt urgent new measures that will support fishermen, aquaculture farmers and processors. However, our main priorities have remained the same, and are related to two important subjects. First are the negotiations on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund for the 2021-2027 programming period. We aim to achieve as much progress as possible in inter-institutional negotiations, and have found a way to continue working with the Commission and the Parliament in these challenging times. Our second priority is to make significant progress on the new fisheries control regulation, and we believe we will achieve it by the end of our Presidency. Our goal is to reach a Partial General Approach in June, as planned.

Eurofish Magazine issue 3 2020 features the fisheries and aquaculture sectors in Croatia, Albania and Kazakhstan. The Species section looks at Octopus.

Click here to read the latest issue of the magazine.