The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (UK) has just published an assessment of the EU's Common Fisheries Policy. It concludes that the existing Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) has not delivered sustainable fisheries for Europe. In addition to lost fisheries productivity, there have been unwanted impacts on the marine environment and economically inefficient fisheries that are more vulnerable to financial shocks. The recent European Commission (EC) Green Paper on the reform of the CFP reconfirms the need to adopt an ecosystem approach to ensure the CFP supports the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. The UK assessment note describes challenges to ecosystem-based fisheries management and how these might be tackled. It can be downloaded here (PDF)

TAGS: EU, Common Fisheries Policy, failed policy, sustainable, fisheries, ecosystem approach, fisheries management

Fisheries Minister Gail Shea, on a rare visit to St John's on June 11, 2010, officially opened a new "Aquatic Science Research Laboratory". (This is merely a refurbished part of the DFO building in White Hills.) Ms Shea stated:  "These state-of-the-art facilities will create new opportunities and creative partnerships with educational institutions and industry both domestically and internationally, and serve as an important recruiting tool for the best scientists and researchers."

What Ms Shea neglected to say was that in fact DFO Science in NL has suffered severe cuts in recent years.

1.  The new Aquatic Science Research Laboratory which has in fact been open for a while will be under-utilized because retiring scientists in St. John's have not been replaced for a number of years.

2.  In particular  research specialists for cod, shrimp, lobster,yellowtail, capelin, scallops and turbot have not been replaced on retirement because of cost-cutting by the Department.

The Bahamas Government is seeking international certification for the lobster fishery. After months of consideration, the government decided to pursue certification with MSC, announced Minister Cartwright in the House of Assembly, yesterday. He said a preliminary assessment of the Bahamas' lobster fishery conducted last year determined that the Bahamas falls short of certification requirements at this time, based on several management shortcomings. The government has determined that MSC certification is necessary to secure the country's $50-95 million export market.

More here

TAGS: Bahamas, MSC certification, lobster fishery, sustainable, fisheries, fishing

Fisheries experts say southern New England's lobster may be severely threatened due to overfishing and warmer water. The grim outlook comes in a report by a technical committee of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which recommends a five-year moratorium on lobster fishing designed to give the population a fighting chance. More here

TAGS: lobster crisis, moratorium, New England, overfishing, warmer water, fisheries, sustainable, fishing