VERACRUZ - WWF welcomes the adoption of several conservation and management measures for tropical tunas in the Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) on friday 14 June. “These measures will considerably reduce tuna fishing mortality in the region, preserving tuna stocks at the level of maximum sustainable yield" said Pablo Guerrero, Eastern Pacific Ocean Tuna Coordinator of WWF’s Smart Fishing Initiative.

The measures include a ban of 62 days per year and a month long closure for purse seiners to enter a large marine area in the west of the Galapagos Islands, called “El Corralito”. The measures will become mandatory for all industrial type tuna purse seiners and longline vessels over 24 meters in length operating in this region.

Mike Parker has been awarded an OBE for his services to the seafood industry, seafood sustainability and the local community in Grimsby.

Mike Parker has over 30 years of experience as a senior manager in industry, principally in seafood and food processing. He has held Chairman and Managing Director positions in a number of companies which were some of the largest in their sectors in Europe. A business graduate from the University of Bath, he is a former deputy CEO of Young’s. He has been a leader in the development of good environmental practice in the Seafood sector having engaged with Seafish, the MSC and a number of other organisations internationally. Mike is a Non-Executive Director of Marine Harvest ASA, the world’s largest salmon farming company, is Chair of Governors at the Grimsby Institute further education college, is very involved in the local community in Grimsby and has recently been appointed as Vice Chair of the Humber LEP.

On 17 June 2013 the Chairman of Marine Harvest, Ole-Eirik Lerøy, purchased 500,000 shares in Marine Harvest at an average price of NOK 5.9452 per share through his affiliated company Profond Holding AS. Subsequent to the transaction, Lerøy and his affiliates' ownership of shares in Marine Harvest ASA is 41,720,000 shares, of which 30,000,000 shares are covered by a forward agreement. The settlement date of the forward agreement is 16 December 2013 and the purchase price is NOK 3.9287 per share. This represents a total ownership of 1.1 per cent of the issued share capital.

On 18 June, the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Costal Affairs has announced that the proposed changes to the delivery obligations for cod trawlers issued 19. June 2012, will not be put into effect now. Havfisk issued the company's response to the public hearing in a letter to the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Costal Affairs in February 2013.

Havfisk takes notice of the Ministry's desicion.

The UK Government has been accused of failing to address problems facing Scottish fishermen. Following a statement on the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Richard Benyon, SNP MPs Mike Weir and Angus MacNeil have said there are other challenges facing Scots fishermen than the CFP and the UK Government is failing to act.

Mike Weir MP said: “Whilst the agreement in Brussels is welcome, the fishing industry still faces problems such as the cost of quota and fuel. The market conditions have continued to be poor in recent months.

BRUSSELS - Iceland's foreign minister, Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson, said he told the European Union his country's bid to join the EU is over.

Sveinsson traveled to Brussels to inform the European Commission, the EU's executive branch, Thursday 13 June, the EU observer reported.

Sveinsson said both parties in the newly elected government had campaigned against joining the EU.

Source: UPI

Japanese buyers are once again showing interest in Bangladeshi frozen shrimps, creating scope for exporters to reduce dependence on Europe, their largest market.

“Our exports to Japan had been very low over the last several years, but recently we are receiving many queries from there. It is a very positive sign,” Md Rezaul Hoque, managing director of Modern Sea Food Ltd, said.

In April alone, exporters shipped shrimp worth USD 2 million to Japan, according to Bangladesh Frozen Foods and Exporters Association.

Source: Sohel Parvez / The Daily Star

Seven people have drowned while attempting to cross into Italy by gripping on to a large tuna fishing cage being towed by a trawler, witnesses say.

Italy's coast guard rescued the migrants off the shores of Sicily after reports came in of dozens of people clinging desperately to the tuna cage out at sea.

Source: ABC News

WALVIS BAY - A new fishing joint venture consisting of five new right holders has responded positively to government's call to add value to Namibia's export commodities.

Omualu is the newly wholly Namibian-owned fishing firm that has created 150 direct and indirect jobs. The Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Bernard Esau, applauded the initiative during his visit to the company's factory in the northern industrial area last Thursday 13 June.

Source: Eveline De Klerk / All Africa

VESTRE JAKOBSELV - The president of Norges Kystfiskarlag, the Coastal Fishermen's Association, is more concerned with the effects of salmon farming on wild fish populations than he is with the new quota recommendations.

Arne Pedersen is not too concerned about the new quota recommendations for cod and haddock. It isn’t the quantity of fish that worries him: it’s their health. “This is not natural, this is poison,” Pedersen said, sawing open a frozen haddock to expose the contents of its stomach.

Source: Christi Turner / Barents Observer