Source: Seas At Risk
The annual meeting of the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission closed today without agreement regarding management of the deep-sea fish orange roughy. The Commission also agreed on total allowable catches of 7,500 tonnes for redfish in the Irminger Sea. These decisions leave both vulnerable species subject to overfishing, despite clear scientific advice to not allow any direct fishing for them.
London, November 14, 2014 – The North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) this week agreed to close six new areas totaling around 11,000 square kilometres to bottom fishing to protect vulnerable deep-sea species ecosystems and extended its prohibition on the catch of several shark species.
Vigo, Spain (September 26th, 2014) – The 36th Annual Meeting of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) closed today in Vigo, Spain. The 12 members of NAFO were presented with comprehensive scientific advice regarding the protection of deep sea ecosystems as well as the conservation of fish stocks in the NAFO Convention Area. NAFO agreed to close two new areas to protect deep-sea ecosystems such as coldwater corals, sponge and seapen ecosystems, but did not adopt the full suite of recommendations to protect sites identified by its scientists as high priorities.
Continue reading New deep-sea protection measures agreed for the Northwest Atlantic
Source: Deep Sea Mining campaign
NGOs from Australia, Canada and India call for an international moratorium on deep seabed mining in light of the International Seabed Authority’s (ISA) issuing of 7 exploration licences for deep seabed mining in international waters.
Continue reading Call for an international moratorium on deep seabed mining
The second Commission meeting of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization (SPRFMO) took place in Manta, Ecuador from 27-31 January.
The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition has condemned northern fishing nations, the European Community, South Korea, and Russia for blocking measures which would have protected deep-sea life in the South Pacific. Those participants stubbornly opposed attempts by countries negotiating a new regional fisheries management organisation to put in place strong measures, including measures that would have protected vulnerable marine ecosystems from the damage caused by bottom trawl fishing in international waters.
