http://www.icsf.net/ International Collective in Support of Fishworkers 2010-02-08T20:56:33+00:56 http://afrika.dk/fisheries-agenda-world-seafood-summit-paris-february-4th-2010 In his keynote speech at the World Seafood Summit 2010, one of the worlds leading fisheries scientist, Daniel Pauly, put the facts on the table. "There is no such thing as sustainable trawling", Pauly said to the more than 600 attendants, many of whom were from the fishing industry and ecolabelling business. Instead, he noted that "small-scale fisheries have the characteristics of sustainability", although he underlined that if you take more out of the bank than the interest, you will end up losing your capital. Pauly focused on industrial fishing as a pyramid scheme, referring to a system where you pay off investments with capital from new investors. In fisheries, the new capital is the fish stocks, and in the industrial fisheries the central element of the pyramid has been expansion. In the 20th century, we have seen a massive expansion in three ways: geographically, by fishing in distant waters and getting access to African, Carribean and Pacific (ACP) waters; by fishing in deeper and deeper waters; and in a taxonomic expansion, meaning that industrial fisheries have targeted more and more species. Fish that earlier were considered inedible have been renamed and put on the market, and in that way slimeheads have become the delicate Orange Roughy to please consumer demand. The problem is, as Pauly explained, “it is international robbery... You can supply the market this way, but it is not sustainable”, and he concluded that the fisheries expansion is a clear sign of non-sustainability. Africa Contact has for long argued that the unsustainable fishing and business practices of particularly the European Union and the European fishing industries, continue to undermine the livelihoods of millions of Africans, and that these practices contribute to increased poverty and regional and international migration. The evidence from Kenya and Somalia, where local fishing communities witness increased fish catches and social and economic development - unforeseen in the past many years - as a direct result of the absence of foreign fishing vessels, clearly illustrates the devastating impact of foreign fishing. Looking at solutions to the current crisis, Pauly underlined that aquafarming is not going to be the saviour of the wild stocks. First of all, the farming of carnivore fish needs wild fish protein for production, and therefore accelerates the further exploitation of already overexploited fish stocks. Secondly, the international statistics have been corrupted by false Chinese data, and thus the the total world production in aquaculture has been overrated. Instead, in Western countries, we have to look at fish in a different way, as a luxury and ritual eating and not as protein that is going to supply the world's growing masses. This means that we should stop the international robbery and pyramid scheme and instead promote local food security. Africa Contact fully agrees with Pauly's perspectives, and further stresses the importance of a complete stop of foreign trawl fishing in African waters in order to enable the millions of Africans to regain access to their fish resources and thereby benefit from social and economic justice. Furthermore, Africa Contact demands that the European Union put a complete stop to entering new Fisheries Partnership Agreements with ACP countries. http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/south-pacific/3304748/Mongoose-alarm-in-tsunami-hit-Samoa Samoa's tsunami hit southern coast has a new worry - there are fears that mongooses are on the loose there. The Ministry of the Environment has launched a major programme in the tsunami-hit Aleipata area where Principal Conservation Officer Lesaisaea Niualuga says they believe a mongoose has been seen. They believe several mongooses have been living in the battered Lalomanu village since 2008 but there are fears numbers have exploded since the tsunami last September. British colonial sugar growers introduced Indian mongooses to Fiji in the late 19th century to control rats in cane fields and they have gone on to devastate the local bird life. They are known to attack domestic chickens. The Samoan Observer quoted village chief Leatitoa Sio Tuimavave as saying they were shocked the animals are in Samoa. He said they had been warned the animals could attack young children at night. "So I'm worried about that," he said. The pulenu'u or mayor of Satitoa, Mau Li'o, vowed that their village will find the creature. Asked how it entered their village, Mau said they suspect it came in a container of supplies from Fiji stored at the Aleipata Wharf. "We heard there are heaps of mongooses in Fiji and these supplies for the wharf were from Fiji," Mau said. "It looks like a rat but it's longer," Mr Afa said. Extensive trapping is to get underway this week. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\02\09\story_9-2-2010_pg5_4 Competitiveness Support Fund (CSF) on Monday said that it would continue its efforts to assist the fisheries sector in Pakistan during the current year. “Pakistan has a fish and seafood industry that includes ancillary industries worth $1.2 billion,” says Arthur Bayhan, CSF chief executive officer, pointing out that the industry was under threat from two sides. “Over-fishing threatens to reduce resource base and hence the yields while the other problem is poor quality control, which means that value of the catch is not being maximized and much is going to waste,” Bayhan said. The CSF had been assisting Pakistan’s fisheries sector since 2007 in response to a request for action from an Inter-Provincial Consultative Committee (IPCC) meeting. The study identified three areas where competitiveness was low and could be improved. There were value losses in the cool chain of the existing marine catch, both for export and internal consumption, it said. An action plan had been formed, concentrating on the Fish Harbor in West Karachi. In addition a Working Group to guide the future of the KFH was also established, followed up by the production of a roadmap for the KFH. Subsequently in 2009, the CSF provided assistance to the Sindh Fisheries Department on a series of initiatives and programs. Currently, the CSF was assisting the Sindh government on opportunities for developing the fisheries of the Indus delta region. The CSF would review options for fishing port development as well as addressing other ways of improving the income and livelihoods of the indigenous fishermen of Thatta and Badin. The CSF had also carried out a survey of fisheries in coastal Balochistan. The CSF fisheries specialist visited Quetta and coastal areas including ports of Gwadar and Pasni. As in Sindh, it was identified that stronger fisheries management would be beneficial so as to prevent over-fishing. The CSF was committed to continuing its diversified support on coastal fisheries development and aquaculture to the governments of Sindh, Punjab, and Balochistan, as requested by them, it said. http://en.mercopress.com/2010/02/03/brazil-props-fisheries-patrolling-and-management-with-27-vessels Brazil's Minister of Fisheries Altemir Gregolin informed that in 2009 four new vessels had been incorporated to patrolling waters of the states of Santa Catarina, Rio Grande del Sur, Ceara and Para and another 23 units should be incorporated over the coming months. Of the 23 units, 9 are being built and the remaining 15 will be purchased. Altemir Gregolin said that the increased fisheries patrolling is another phase of fisheries management strengthening in Brazil, the high point of which was last year when the Special Secretariat of Aquaculture and Fisheries was made a ministry. In 2009, a new Fishing Law was promulgated, replacing one dating back to 1967. Gregolin pointed out that the seafood sector Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Brazil including traditional fishing and aquaculture, totals 2.66 billion USD annually. Fisheries catches in Brazil are over a million tons and the sector, much of it still coastal and artisan employs 3.5 million people. The fisheries Minister estimates that the seafood sector has a production potential of close to 20 million tons annually, but as fisheries patrolling and management is still lacking, major investments are still needed in infrastructure, such as fishing terminals and freezing plants. ”We must monitor the situation closely; we can’t be careless. Should that happen, our natural resources would simply be exhausted” Gregolin warned in an interview with Revista Portos e Navios. He also stressed that good results are often obtained from simple measures, citing the example of the sardine. In the 70s, annual sardine catches in Brazil totalled 220,000 tons but they dropped dramatically to 17.000 tonnes because of poor patrolling. But in 2003, the Fisheries Secretariat, the Environment Ministry and the Brazilian Environment and Renewable Natural Resources Institute joined forces, extending the ban period from four to six months, which led to quick signs of recovery. Last year, sardine catches in Brazil totalled 100.000 tons. http://www.fishnewseu.com/latest-news/world/2785-aquaculture-funding-creates-jobs-in-atlantic-canada.html Canadian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, The Honourable Gail Shea, last week marked the success of the Aquaculture Innovation and Market Access Program (AIMAP). The goal of the Aquaculture Innovation and Market Access Program (AIMAP) is to improve the competitiveness and market value of the Canadian aquaculture industry by encouraging an aquaculture sector that continuously develops and adopts innovative technologies and management techniques to enhance its global competitiveness and environmental performance. “The Aquaculture Innovation and Market Access Program is about to complete its second year and it is clear that the program is making a difference,” said Minister Shea. “By investing in projects such as these, our Government is strengthening an important industry that creates jobs for rural and coastal communities.” This year, DFO funded 19 projects to a total of $2.3 million in Canada’s four Atlantic Provinces through AIMAP, part of the $9 million AIMAP has committed to the Canadian aquaculture industry over the last two years. For the next three years, AIMAP will be committing an additional $14.1 million in funding. The Prince Edward Island aquaculture industry received support in the amount of $614,231. These projects focused on improving PEI’s already renowned mussel farming industry as well as innovations in growing halibut. Some of the four PEI projects funded also received contributions from the province of Prince Edward Island and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). "Providing funding through the Aquaculture Innovation and Market Access Program helps create and protect jobs,” said Minister Shea. “This funding demonstrates that we are taking strong action to help our economy navigate through these uncertain economic times." AIMAP projects have proven successful at developing new tools and techniques for the industry. Brantville Aquaculture in Brantville, New Brunswick developed a unique gluing technique for oysters. King Aquaculture developed automated technology for treating oysters and oyster gear. These two projects in Eastern New Brunswick received a total of $113,000 in AIMAP funding this year. A variety of other projects throughout Atlantic Canada also received AIMAP funding. In southwest New Brunswick, six projects received a total of $615,068 this year. Three projects in Nova Scotia received a total of $332,950. In Newfoundland and Labrador, four projects received a total of $663,950. ACOA is also contributing $82,000 to one project in Newfoundland and Labrador. AIMAP encourages investments from a variety of public and private sector sources, promoting collaboration in Canada's aquaculture industry. Along with PEI’s contribution, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador also contributed monies in support of aquaculture projects in their respective provinces. 
“The provincial government is pleased to partner with the federal government and the aquaculture industry in the continued growth, development and diversification of aquaculture in Prince Edward Island,” said Prince Edward Island Fisheries, Aquaculture and Rural Development Minister Neil LeClair. “The industry is an important part of the rural economy, and is one of the industries targeted for support under the Rural Action Plan.” http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/308016,vietnamese-officials-chinese-patrol-boat-seizes-fishermans-catch.html A Chinese patrol boat stole a Vietnamese fishing catch last week, Vietnamese officials said Monday. Trinh Phuoc, head of a Vietnamese Coastal Border Guard post in the central province of Quang Ngai, said a fishing boat with a 16-man crew was stopped February 2 by a Chinese patrol near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. The boat's owner and captain, Nguyen Chin, reported that 10 to 20 Chinese, some of them in uniform, boarded his boat and seized about 500 kilograms of fish, a navigation device, spare parts and tools. Vietnamese officials said they were not yet sure how they would respond. "We don't know what to do about this news," said Vo Van Huyen, chairman of the Ly Son Island's People's Committee. "We have reported it to higher authorities." The online newspaper VnExpress quoted Chin as saying the Chinese had dumped his fresh water supply into the sea and poured water into the crew's rice supplies before telling him to return home. Over the past year, Chinese naval patrols have seized several Vietnamese fishing boats and detained fishermen in the South China Sea. In August and October, they arrested fishermen who tried to shelter in the disputed Paracel Islands during storms. Tensions over sovereignty in the South China Sea have risen since last year when countries submitted their official territorial claims to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Beijing rejected submissions by Malaysia, Vietnam and other countries as violating its own claims in the area. The area surrounding the Spratly and Paracel Islands in the South China Sea is believed to contain substantial undersea oil and mineral deposits. http://www.bnd.com/news/world/story/1121639.html The anti-whaling ship the Bob Barker and a Japanese harpoon ship collided Saturday in the icy waters off Antarctica -- the second major clash this year in the increasingly aggressive confrontations between conservationists and the whaling fleet. No one was injured in the latest smash-up, for which each side blamed the other. The U.S.-based activist group Sea Shepherd sends vessels to confront the Japanese fleet each year. Japan's Fisheries Agency said the activists approached the No. 3 Yushin Maru to throw bottles containing butyric acid in an attempted attack on the Japanese ship. Photos released to The Associated Press also show a laser beam being directed at the Japanese ship. The Japanese agency accused Sea Shepherd of "committing an act of sabotage" on the Japanese expedition, noting that it is allowed under world whaling restrictions as a scientific expedition. http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20100207-251766/Asean-cooperation-in-fisheries-sought Thai senators over the weekend urged cooperation among member-countries of Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the income-generating areas of fisheries and maritime, it was learned Sunday. Briefing the 20-member delegation of Thai senators on the current regional framework on fisheries cooperation, Thailand’s Permanent Representative to Asean, Ambassador Manasvi Srisodapol, highlighted the work of the Asean Fisheries Consultative Forum as well as the revival of the Asean Fisheries Federation, an Asean-accredited civil society organization. Manasvi said enhanced regional cooperation is expected as the region was also looking at establishing the Asean Maritime Forum, which is seen to address comprehensively maritime issues. The delegation of the Thai Senate committee on foreign affairs, led by committee chairperson Mrs. Pikulkeaw Krairiksh, visited the Asean Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia to also discuss regional cooperation in economic integration, education, and Asean community-building. During the courtesy call, Asean Secretary General Dr. Surin Pitsuwan stressed the importance of economic integration particularly in the wake of the Asean-China Free Trade Agreement, which came into effect on 1 January 2010. The Asean-China FTA had raised some concerns, especially among the private sector and business associations in some countries, that their domestic industries would be under pressure from cheaper Chinese imports. “No one country in the region can isolate itself from the world,” Surin said, noting the need to explain the merits of FTAs that Asean has entered into to the wider regional public. With China’s real GDP growth creeping back up to double digit levels after the global financial crisis and the fact that its large and expanding middle-class offers a very strong potential market, the supply line to China is crucial for Asean, Surin said. http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=473184 The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Tuesday detained 21 Vietnamese fishermen and seized two deep sea fishing vessels near Malong oil rig, about 90 nautical miles off Kuantan. Kuantan MMEA chief Capt Abdul Aziz Idrus said a team led by Lieut Hafizi Mohd Rafiq was on patrol duty aboard KM Lang at 11am when it spotted a foreign vessel fishing in the area . Another foreign fishing vessel was also anchored nearby to supply about 10,000 litres of diesel to the other fishing vessel. Aziz said a check of the Vietnamese fishermen aged 18-40 years found that they had no permits to fish in Malaysian waters. "We believe that they have been fishing here for four days. The fish caught will be taken back and sold in their own country. "The two fishing vessels and the catch were seized and taken to Geliga Slipway jetty for futher investigation." He said the catch seized would be auctioned off while the two fishing vessels would be sold or turned into artificial reef. The fishermen were detained under Section 15(1)(a) of Fisheries Act 1995. The skipper could be fined RM1 million and crew RM100,000 (US$29,015) each upon conviction. http://www.thanhniennews.com/business/?catid=2&newsid=55021 Vietnam has launched its first dispute at the World Trade Organization with a case against the United States anti-dumping measures on its key exports of shrimp. The country only joined the global trade arbiter three years ago, and its economy like China's has benefited strongly from membership in the world trading system and its rules. The trade dispute with the United States not only has symbolic significance but defends a product that brought in some US$1.5 billion in exports last year. It also pits Hanoi against a large number of Vietnamese-American shrimpers who operate off the coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. No one was available for comment at Vietnam's mission to the WTO, and details of the dispute were not immediately clear. Vietnamese shrimp exporters currently face US anti-dumping duties ranging from zero to about 26 percent. They have complained in the past about the controversial US method of calculating anti-dumping duties known as zeroing, which has been condemned repeatedly by WTO courts and rejected by all other WTO members. "The WTO has concluded that the US was wrong in applying the zeroing method in precedent cases. I can see high possibility of Vietnam winning the case," Nguyen Huu Dung, deputy chairman of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), told the VietNamNet website last year. Vietnam will also gain useful experience in international trade litigation from fighting a WTO case, Dung said. According to documents filed by Vietnam with the WTO, Vietnam is seeking consultations with the United States – the first formal stage in a dispute. A spokeswoman for the US Trade Representative's office said they were reviewing Vietnam's request for talks, but provided no further information. If the two sides fail to resolve the dispute through bilateral consultations in 60 days, Vietnam can ask the WTO to set up a panel to rule on the case. VASEP estimates Vietnam exported 190,000 tons of shrimp in 2009, up 7 percent in volume and 1 percent in value. Besides the US, the main markets include Japan, South Korea, China and the European Union. The Southern Shrimp Alliance, which represents shrimp fishermen and processors in eight US states, won anti-dumping duties on imports from Brazil, China, Ecuador, India, Thailand and Vietnam in 2004 after a US Commerce Department investigation found those countries guilty of unfair pricing practices. That action helped stabilize an industry hit hard by plummeting prices. But annual US administrative reviews have weakened the duties over the years and US shrimpers are now struggling with historically low prices, the group's executive director, John Williams, told Reuters. US duties on shrimp from Thailand had such little effect that the Southern Shrimp Alliance recently negotiated a deal for the Thai shrimp industry to pay US shrimpers at least $100 million to have the duties dropped, Williams said. However, that agreement is opposed by a rival US group, the American Shrimp Processors Association, which is urging the Commerce Department to block it, he said.