Daily Archives: January 28, 2025

China-Australia Relations: Beijing resumes imports of Australian lobster after 4-year ban

Australian lobsters are heading to China once again, after a 4-year absence. The industry says the removal of a trade ban by China late last year has opened the door to its biggest and most profitable export destination, just in time for the Chinese New Year. The haul on this day was a good one for Basil Lenzo and his crew. About 400 kilos of western rock lobsters. What’s even more significant for the 3rd generation fisher is that much of this catch will end up in China. In 2019, about 95% of Australia’s western rock lobsters were sent to China, which was the industry’s most profitable export market worth more than $700 million. The next year, China imposed tariffs and trade blockages on a number of Australian exports including lobsters. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:30

Indigenous fishers, co-operatives are winners in Ottawa’s shuffle of baby eel quotas

Ottawa has issued the latest version of how it is proposing to distribute licences for the lucrative baby eel fishery in the Maritimes. In a letter to stakeholders on Monday, the Fisheries Department says it is maintaining its plan to shift half the quota of close to 10,000 kilograms of elvers away from nine large licence holders to new entrants from Indigenous communities. However, Ottawa confirms it is backing away from a pilot project to redistribute 27 per cent of the catch of the nine licence holders to 120 fishers who used to work for them. That old pilot proposal, introduced in December, drew strong criticism from the potential recipients, who said they preferred to remain employees and felt safer on the rivers under the existing arrangement. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:33

Next generation trawl sonar

The new FS80 trawl sonar released by Simrad is ‘tailored to deliver,’ according to the company, as it integrates a number of functions into a single unit. ‘This is the first time a truly integrated system has hit the market, with a wide range of functionality and advanced multifrequency performance, delivering an operational flexibility, and reliable results, that all customers can take advantage of whatever the pelagic fish types, whatever the size of the trawl,’ said Mads Dahl, VPP sales at Simrad’s parent company Kongsberg Discovery. This compact, modular and multifrequency offering is the market’s first sonar system to combine net monitoring, intake profiling and bottom detection in a single unit, making the very latest sonar technology accessible. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:15

Codfish regulators should consider effects on fishermen’s lives, researcher says

In a presentation at UMass Dartmouth’s School of Marine Science and Technology last week, Jonathan Grabowski said management decisions for the cod fishery have been based on trawl surveys to estimate fish populations, plus economic and environmental factors. Yet federal and regional fisheries management officials have not as readily included the social impacts of their decisions on fishermen and their communities. Fishermen have experienced high levels of stress and social disruption as the cod industry has declined due to overfishing and ineffective conservation measures. Meanwhile, their distrust in regulators has increased, he said. Using more social and experiential data from these fishermen could allow regulators to make better management decisions, Grabowski said. That could help the fishery function better, improve outcomes for the industry, conserve environmental resources, and rebuild trust. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:18

Tampa Bay area seafood restaurants found mislabeling shrimp

Tampa and St. Petersburg are facing a startling revelation with only two out of 44 sampled restaurants serve authentic, wild-caught Gulf shrimp. A recent investigation, led by SeaD Consulting, exposes a 96% fraud rate, with most establishments relying on imported, farm-raised shrimp from countries like India, Vietnam and Ecuador. The investigation identified just two restaurants as serving genuine Gulf shrimp, putting into question the region’s seafood reputation. The Gulf Coast’s shrimp industry faces stiff competition from cheaper imports. Over 90% of shrimp consumed in the U.S. is imported, often produced with banned chemicals or under unethical labor conditions. Meanwhile, local shrimpers struggle with rising fuel costs and shrinking market demand for genuine Gulf shrimp. more, >>CLICK TO READ<<07:08

EU, Britain to face off in post-Brexit fishing battle case

A tiny silver fish which is an important food source in the North Sea will take centre stage Tuesday as the European Union and Britain square off over post-Brexit fishing rights. The bitter arbitration case over sandeels is seen as a bellwether for other potential litigation between London and Brussels in a perennial hot-bed industry, experts said. Tuesday’s clash at the Hague-based Permanent Court for Arbitration also marks the first courtroom trade battle between the 27-member trading bloc and Britain since it left the EU in 2020. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:08