The first trial of the top intelligence and security officials from the Moon Jae-in government began Friday over the death of a South Korean public employee who drifted into North Korean waters.  

The trial took place on West Sea Defense Day, which was first designated in 2016 to commemorate the soldiers who lost their lives to defend against military provocations by North Korea, in the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong in 2002, the sinking of the Cheonan warship in 2010 and the shelling of Yeongpyeong Island in 2010.

Former Blue House national security adviser Suh Hoon, National Intelligence Service (NIS) Chief Park Jie-won and Defense Minister Suh Wook appeared at the Seoul Central District Court where they defended themselves against allegations that they had tampered with and manipulated documents in order to make it look like a South Korean fisheries official was attempting to defect to North Korea.

Source: koreajoongangdaily

Representatives from the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA), the fisheries ministry and the private sector have started discussions on draft protocol for experimental fisheries that will support fish exports from the island nation

During the half-day workshop on Thursday, stakeholders gave their inputs on developments they would like to see take place. It was also an opportunity for the private sector to establish how they can work with the authority and the ministry to develop the protocol.

An operational protocol for experimental fisheries provides step-by-step guidelines for the design and implementation of new fisheries as well as identifies new fishery resources that are under-utilised or test new fishing methods. At the moment Seychelles does not have a comprehensive experimental fisheries policy and no experimental fisheries protocol is in place.

Source: seychellesnewsagency

Wednesday’s aerial survey covered Sitka Sound from Povorotni Point to St. Lazaria Island and as far north as Krestof Sound. Survey conditions were fair with cloudy skies and 15-knot winds. No herring schools or herring spawn were observed. Concentrations of humpback whales were seen in the deeper waters between Crow Pass and Big Gavanski Island, near Inner Point, and near Galankin Island. Concentrations of sea lions were observed from Inner Point to Kamenoi Point.

The R/V Kestrel arrived in Sitka Sound Wednesday morning. Department vessels surveyed south of Sitka from Indian River to Deep Inlet and in the northern portion of Sitka Sound from Inner Point to Harbor Point. 

Source: alaska native news

Chilean industrial fishing processing plants in the Biobío region have criticized the lack of regulation of the artisanal fleet that catches sardines and anchoveta, which is causing "saturation" of the processing plants.

According to Macarena Cepeda Godoy, president of Asipes, Industrial Fishermen of Biobío, the sardine fleet goes fishing under the modality of "Olympic race".

Source: IndustriasPesqueras | Read the full article here

Market demand continues to increase significantly for convenience fish products. Whether it's fish fillets, sticks or cakes, consumers are looking to spend less time preparing a healthy meal and more time enjoying it. Valuable raw materials such as trimmings, trimmings, ground meat, or frozen blocks can be turned into profitable value-added products. Your final product is our starting point.

Source: Aqua | Read the full article here

AquaFuture Spain’23 offers an ambitious programme with sixty recognised experts from the national and international aquaculture sector.                                                         

• More than thirty conferences, presentations and show cookings will take place at this ii aquaculture fair during its three days of celebration, from march 28 to 30
• The event will not only turn the Galicia Abanca Feira International campus into a great showcase of this productive area, but also into an interesting knowledge forum

Source: FishFocus | Read the full article here

With the purpose of reactivating the economy in the coastal zones of Costa Rica, through the protection of a marine species for the promotion of tourism, the deputy Eli Feinzaig presented to the legislative current a new project under File 23,463, * “Law for promote the economic development of the coasts: Declaration of the sailfish as a national symbol in the economic, social and cultural development of Costa Rica”.*

The reason for this proposal is that sailfish is the main species that motivates sport fishing tourism, an activity that only in 2021 generated $520 million for the national GDP, according to data from the Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (INCOPESCA), for what its protection against incidental fishing is necessary for the generation of productive chains in tourism, which allow the economic development of the inhabitants of the coasts.

Data from 2019 from the Costa Rican Fisheries Federation (FECOP) showed that the population of this species presented a decrease of up to 70% within the territorial waters of Costa Rica, according to a recent study called "Trends and variability in local abundances Sailfish Istiophorus platyterus in Pacific waters of Costa Rica: Controls and effects on recreational fishing.

Source: fishcostarica

Japan’s imports of squid and cuttlefish continued to climb in the first half of 2022, from 67 781 tonnes during this period in 2020 to 72 169 tonnes in 2021 and to 77 760 tonnes in 2022 The largest supplier by far was China, which accounted for 61 percent of the total, followed by Peru with 12.5 percent.

China’s exports of squid and cuttlefish increased sharply again, from 247 767 tonnes in the first half of 2021 to 310 797 tonnes in the same period in 2022 (+25.4 percent). The largest markets were Japan, Thailand and the Republic of Korea. However, Korean imports of squid and cuttlefish declined by 13 percent during the first half of 2022, to 73 079 tonnes.

Spanish consumption of cephalopods is picking up again this year due to the return of tourists to the country. Imports of squid and cuttlefish increased from 123 138 tonnes during the first half of 2021 to 143 919 tonnes in the first half of 2022. Thus, the country is on track to a “normal” situation. As usual, the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) were the main supplier, followed by Peru and Morocco.

Source: FAO/Globefish

Global squid catches have declined considerably, from 3.1 million tonnes in 2000 to 2.9 million tonnes in 2020.

One solution to this is aquaculture, but farming squid has proved difficult. For the past 60 years, scientists have tried to establish squid aquaculture, but with minimal success. However, now a group of scientists at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology have developed a squid aquaculture system that may work and would be cheap enough to operate to compete with imported squid. The group claims to have succeeded in controlling the full life cycle of the squid.

The scientists at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology have grown 10 generations of the oval squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana) and have been working closely with one commercial partner while also being in contact with five or six others. However, with squid prices being low, farming is not profitable at the moment.