Volunteers have spent five hours removing a 1,300ft-long (400m) abandoned fishing net from Plymouth Sound National Marine Park.

The net, which had trapped and killed dozens of fish, seabirds, crabs, and lobsters, was found at Drake's Island.

Birds are thought to have drowned after getting entangled as they dived for fish trapped in the net

The team discovered the net was much larger than anticipated, stretching hundreds of metres underwater and entangling various marine life, including shags and an oystercatcher.

Author: Jonathan Morris / BBC l Read the full article here

Nick Shell, co-founder of Halophilic Marine Agriculture, who is pioneering the aquaculture of Salicornia using marine hydroponics in disused Vietnamese shrimp ponds, believes that the saline plant has huge potential – both to generate income and to improve global health.

Once seen as a poor man’s food, only to be consumed at the end of a harsh winter, cultivation of the salt-tolerant plant Salicornia has multiplied in the past two decades. 

Known variously as samphire, sea asparagus and glasswort, this growing interest has drivers both in supply and demand.With the main markets in South Korea, the UK and western Europe, the biggest growers are in Morocco, Spain, Israel, Netherlands and Mexico 

Author: Steven Hermans / The Fish Site l Read the full article here

The European Commission (EC) has launched a public consultation on whether the E.U. should add sustainability requirements to its autonomous tariff quotas (ATQs) on certain fishery products entering the bloc from outside countries.

The E.U. applies ATQs to a range of different products and unanimously adopted regulations in 2023 that applied to key seafood species like cod, Alaska pollock, shrimp, and cephalopods. ATQs entail the complete suspension or reduction of a duty attached to a certain volume of seafood products entering the E.U. from outside of the country, with specific volumes and duties attached to individual products. 

Author: Chris Chase / SeafoodSource l Read the full article here

Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi met with Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto, where both countries reached a significant agreement regarding halal product certification.

Jakarta - Ahmad Zahid announced that Malaysia and Indonesia have, in principle, agreed that the halal logo issued by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) will be accepted for halal products exported to Indonesia. This means that these products will not be subjected to a new standard operating procedure for halal certification upon entering Indonesia.

Addressing the recurring issue of fishermen operating along the maritime borders of both countries, Ahmad Zahid reported that he and President Prabowo agreed to adhere to the memorandum of understanding signed in 2012. This agreement stipulates that fishermen who inadvertently cross into each other’s territorial waters should be given an initial warning.

In this context, Ahmad Zahid urged Malaysian fishermen to consistently use the Automatic Identification System (AIS) and to ensure it remains switched on while navigating the Straits of Malacca. He emphasized that Malaysian authorities will be actively monitoring their position and location through the AIS.

He stressed the importance of authorities in both Malaysia and Indonesia emphasizing this matter to their respective fishing communities.

The Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (MoHERST) in The Gambia, in collaboration with stakeholders, has validated a Strategic Improvement Plan (SIP) for TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) Centers of Excellence specializing in Fisheries and Agribusiness.

Funded by the World Bank through its Central Project Coordination Unit (CPCU) at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs (The Gambia), the SIP aims to enhance training programs, governance, infrastructure, and professional development within these centers. It also focuses on strengthening industry linkages, entrepreneurship, and community engagement.

At the validation forum held in The Gambia, the Minister for Higher Education highlighted the importance of these specialized TVET centers (one for agribusiness in Tujereng and one for fisheries in Ndemban, to be established within four years) in moving The Gambia from food security to food sovereignty. He emphasized the need for applied science and for education to enable the country to feed itself without relying on external factors.

The goal is for The Gambia to become a TVET Center of Excellence for the ECOWAS region in fisheries and agriculture.

The world’s first aquaculture supercarrier has set sail — here’s what’s onboard.

The world’s first 150,000-tonne smart aquaculture vessel, Guoxin 1 2-1, has officially entered service following its delivery on 17 April by Beihai Shipbuilding, part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation. The vessel was developed by Qingdao-based state-owned conglomerate Guoxin Group and will operate under the name Lu Ji Yu Yang 60617, according to a WeChat post by Qingdao Guoxin Group.

The vessel is an upgraded model of the original 100,000-tonne Guoxin 1, launched in 2022, and marks the beginning of scaled, industrialised offshore aquaculture in China.

Source: SalmonBusiness l Read the full article here

The volume of coho salmon expected by Chile in the first three months of this year was 88,482 tonnes, a record high for a first quarter.

It is the second year in succession that Chile’s exports of coho exceeded 85,000 tonnes in Q1. Exports are up by nearly 35% since Q1 2023, when the country exported 65,861 tonnes of coho.

“Furthermore, coho salmon has proven to be a highly valued product in Asian markets, especially in Japan, where it is the main species imported from Chile.”

Source: fishfarmingexpert l Read the full article here

Norwegian salmon giant SalMar is to take full control of the smaller salmon company Wilsgard AS, it was announced today.

SalMar already owns 37.5% of Wilsgard and such a deal, worth around £130m,  has been in the pipeline for several weeks.

SalMar said that the boards of the two companies had approved the merger plan, adding: “This merger will combine two strong players in fisheries and aquaculture, and we look forward to developing the opportunities this presents.”

Author: Vince McDonagh / Fish Farmer l Read the full article here

TAC for chub and spotted mackerel stocks in Tsushima Warm Current remains consistent with previous year's proposal.

The Fisheries Agency has proposed a total allowable catch (TAC) of 210,000 tons for the Tsushima Warm Current stocks of chub mackerel and spotted mackerel for the 2025 management year (July 2025 to June 2026).

This proposal was presented at a meeting held in Fukuoka City on the 17th, jointly organized by the Fisheries Agency and the Fisheries Research and Education Agency. The meeting served as a platform for exchanging opinions on setting the TACs for these key stocks.

The Tsushima Warm Current group on the right overlaps with the fishing grounds of Korea and China

During the meeting, it was reported that the combined proposed TAC for both chub mackerel and spotted mackerel stocks for the 2025 management year would be 208,700 tons. Of this total, 28,300 tons are proposed to be reserved as a national allocation. Following this presentation, discussions were held with representatives from the relevant prefectures and fishermen to gather their input.

Notably, the proposed combined TAC of 208,700 tons for the 2025 management year is consistent with the TAC proposed for the same management year in 2024.