FAO organized the Fourth Blue Ports Workshop and the first training course on "Greening a Blue Fishing Port" in July 2022, in conjunction with the Government of Spain, the Regional Government of Galicia, and the Port of Vigo.

FAO established the "four betters" in the Strategic Framework 2022-2031 to achieve sustainable development through more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable transformation for better production, nutrition, environment, and life.

FAO works to promote a blue transformation by strengthening the role of fishing ports in the aquatic food value chain in order to improve production in the context of fishing ports. In this regard, the recently created Blue Ports Initiative (BPI) seeks to promote sustainable coastal development through blue port operations, while also improving collaboration with stakeholders.

To achieve the Initiative's aims and goals, parties participating in the blue transformation of fishing ports and food value chains must work together. A blue fishing port is a sustainable port that brings together partners from the private sector, academia, civil society, and governments to create a positive impact. This is accomplished through innovative initiatives that reduce CO2 emissions, restore the ocean, create jobs, and strengthen the food value chain.

Cooperation among fishing ports is essential to share knowledge and implement good practices, based on the current worldwide connectivity among fishing ports. As a result, the Spanish government has supported both technically and financially to the development of various initiatives, such as the capacity-building course held last month.

From 11 to 15 July, 2022, 26 port representatives from 13 African, Asian, and Latin American nations gathered at the Port of Vigo to strengthen networking, information transfer, and capacity building in order to become a blue port.

Participants from Namibia, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Morocco, Kenya, Korea, Viet Nam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Peru, Colombia, Spain, and the Organization of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector of the Central American Isthmus (OSPESCA) and the Central American Commission for Maritime Transport (COCATRAM) of the Central American Integration (SICA) have agreed on knowledge transfer, study visits, and tool kits to reinforce positive impact.

The workshop concluded with the consensus that fishing ports will continue to implement the BPI in the coming years. More efforts will be necessary in the coming years to devise technical assistance programs and undertake capacity-building initiatives through the development of a "Guidance on Becoming a Blue Port." Furthermore, with the participation of all port and fishing authorities, the development of a joint baseline to measure the impact of the BPI is advocated.

The Blue Ports Initiative will assist fishing ports become more sustainable in terms of social, economic, and environmental growth, so that no one is left behind.

Tags: #BluePortsInitiative #PortOfVigo #Sustainability #FishingPorts #BlueTransformation

China's 2021 National Fishery Statistical Bulletin, which was published on 21 July 2022, included some important data:

• Calculated at current prices, the total fisheries and aquaculture output in China amounted to CNY 2 968.97 billion (USD 437.90 billion).
  
  
• The total output of marine fisheries was CNY 230.37 billion, the total output of mariculture was CNY 430.17 billion, the total output of freshwater fisheries was CNY 33.66 billion, and the total output of freshwater aquaculture was CNY 747.37 billion.
  
  
• The per capita net income of fishers increased by CNY 1 604.9 or 7.35 percent from the previous year to CNY 23 442.13.
  
  
• There were 520 800 vessels used in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors (10.02 million tonnes).
  
  
• There were 16.34 million fishers, a 5.03 percent or 865 300 reduction from the previous year.
  
  
• Fisheries and aquaculture products’ total import and export volume in 2021 was 9.55 million tonnes, while their total value was $39.95 billion, up 0.72 and 15.41 percent, respectively, year over year.
  
  
• Over the same period last year, the trade surplus increased by $430 million to $3.9 billion.

Tags: #China #fisheries ##statistics #imports #exports #production

To address diminishing fisheries output, the Philippines intends to pursue a variety of strategies to boost production levels. The value of fisheries production fell by 2.3 percent in August 2022, with major losses in tiger prawns (sugpo), blue crabs (alimasag), mudcrabs (alimango), cavallas (talakitok), and milkfish production (bangus).

The Philippines' Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has proposed numerous initiatives for the sector's modernization, intensification, and innovation, which would be executed between now and 2022. These are meant to alleviate the country's estimated edible fish supply gap of 44 000 metric tonnes. The estimated supply gap is over one percent short of what is required to establish full sufficiency in the Philippines.

BFAR intends to modernize the business by mechanizing irrigation supply canals and increasing the use of fish aggregating devices at critical fishing locations around the country. BFAR will focus on developing a cold chain program in island towns to prevent post-harvest losses.

In order to increase production capacity, BFAR intends to include more high-value species in the National Fish Broodstock Development Program, such as siganids, snappers, pompano, groupers, and seabass. It would specifically reduce imports and lower the cost of aquaculture production by increasing the number of fish hatcheries to improve domestic output. Along with enhancing mariculture parks across the country, the Bureau will expand its existing programs to stock more public bodies of water with marketable fish species in a sustainable manner.

Furthermore, it will promote urban aquaculture and unorthodox production methods like as tanks, dams, small farm reservoirs, water impounding ponds, and naturally elevated or ground-level fishponds. The Bureau is also working to improve aquaculture by utilizing green energy.

Tags: #Philippines #government #policy #fishing #aquaculture

Indonesia’s fisheries ministry is looking to implement a catch quota-based fishing system by allocating fishing permits. The announcement has come in the wake of the government attempting to reform the sector to realize greater and more sustainable gains from fisheries. Under this system, both domestic and foreign companies would be given fishing permits in designated areas. New investors would be eligible for “special permits” of up to 15 years following their submission of a catch quota request and a bidding process. Companies that already hold a fishing permit would have to change their present quota to total catch quota, which is calculated based on number of vessels used.

The new system would provide every fishing stakeholder (traditional fishers, small-scale, large scale fishers and lobbyists) an allocated limit out of the annual total allowable catch (TAC) – capped at 80 percent of the estimated fish stock in the designated area. It seeks to further divide Indonesia’s fisheries management areas into different zones for traditional and small-scale fishers, major fishing vessels, and conservation initiatives, such as spawning and nursery grounds. Additionally, it will set limits on the number of boats, docks, fishing windows, and types of gear that are permitted in each fishing zone, as well as the harvest quotas for each type of fish.

The system is likely to come into effect from early 2023 across 79 fishing ports with a focus on fishing vessels over 30 gross tonnes (GT). Until the end of 2022, there will be trials in three fishing ports.

Tags: #Indonesia #fisheries #government #policy #fishingpermits

Since 1991, the United States of America has prohibited the import of wild shrimp from a number of nations in an effort to prevent sea turtle bycatch when shrimp fisheries cannot be controlled to safeguard sea turtle populations. According to the US State Department, 37 countries including Hong Kong, as well as 13 fisheries in seven more countries, are qualified to export wild shrimp to the US market this year.

Tags: #US #seafood #trade #imports #exports  #shrimp

The Specification of Quality Management for Live Whiteleg Shrimp in Preposition Warehouse Pattern was published on 8 August 2022 by the China Chain Store & Franchise Association (CCFA) and the China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Association (CAPPMA). This specification is a voluntary standard put forth by the industry. It focuses on live whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), a welcome product that has recently achieved significant market dominance. A creative and effective technique called "preposition warehouse pattern" leverages distribution centers for interim storage and selection. Additionally, fresh supplies are sent to customers who place online orders via nearby service stations.

For preposition warehouse arrangements, food safety is a constant problem. Food loss and oxygen deprivation can readily happen when the product is transported. It is challenging to control food losses during the circulation process. By defining requirements for quality control in all phases, such as distribution, local service stations, transportation, appearance check, rapid test, disinfection, oxygen use, traceability, and recall system, this specification aims to alleviate these concerns.

It would further encourage online sales growth, satisfying Chinese consumers' need for fresh seafood and aquaculture products.

Tags: #China #shrimp #specification #livewhiteleg #foodsafety #industry

Indian exports of fisheries and aquaculture products reached an all-time high at USD 7.76 billion during the 2021 April - 2022 March fiscal year, representing a 30.3 percent rise in value. The volume of exports was 19.1 percent higher year-on-year at 1.37 million tonnes during this period.

The major markets were the United States of America, China, the European Union, Japan, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.

In Mexico, the national fisheries and aquaculture charters are documents developed by the Fisheries and Aquaculture National Institute (Inapesca). The National Commission of Aquaculture and Fisheries (Conapesca) implements the national charters to regulate the management of fisheries resources in the country.

The National Fisheries (CNP) and Aquaculture (CNA) Charters have been updated to include 537 fisheries of 415 species, which account for more than 95 percent of the volume and 90 percent of the value of the nation's overall production. This supports the practice of managing fisheries and aquaculture operations in a sustainable manner.

On July 26, 2021, the CNP was published. CNP provides the cartographic and written representation of the analysis and evaluation of the fisheries and indicators on the availability and conservation of fishery resources in waters under federal jurisdiction. There are 21 species in it, including four from fisheries on the Pacific Coast of the United States of America, 15 from the Atlantic, and two bodies of continental waters.

The 21 species are the following:

Salmon exports set a record high in July 2022. Exports were NOK 10 million (approx. USD 1 million) higher than the previous record month, which was in June this year.

Norway exported fish and fish products valued at NOK 11.6 billion (USD 1.1 billion) in July, representing an increase of NOK 2.1 billion (USD 200 million), or 23 percent, compared to July 2021. Since the start of this year, Norway has exported NOK 81.7 billion (USD 8 billion) of fisheries and aquaculture products. This is an increase of NOK 18.5 billion, or 29 percent, compared to 20212021.

While the export volume for important species such as salmon, cod, mackerel, and herring fell in July, high salmon prices contributed the most to July´s strong export results for fisheries and aquaculture products. At the same time, the export price for several other species and products also reached record highs in July. For example, klipfish of cod, saithe, frozen whole cod, and haddock have achieved prices not seen before.

Tags: #Norway #exports #salmon #fisheries #aquaculture

Supplies of North Sea herring were tight in July, which pushed prices up for Norwegian export products. In July, the average price for skinless fillets increased by 26 percent. While Norway’s export volume of herring was down by two percent in July, the export value was up by four percent.

Mackerel prices were also high. During July, Norway exported 7 800 tonnes of mackerel, down 32 percent compared to last year. But the value was only down by 14 percent. This summer, the biggest markets for Norwegian mackerel were Egypt, Viet Nam, and Lithuania.

Tags: #small #pelagics #market

After a period of high prices, snow crab prices dropped considerably during the summer. At the beginning of August, 5-8 oz clusters of frozen snow crab dropped to USD 7.05 – 7.30 per lb, down from USD 16.80 – 17.05 per lb at the beginning of January.

Tags: #Snow #crab #prices 

Korean imports of frozen octopus declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, from 2 754 tonnes in 2019 to 1 631 tonnes in 2020 and 1 019 tonnes in 2021. During the first seven months of 2022, Korean frozen octopus imports reached 1 497 tonnes, up 156 percent compared to the same period in 2021. The leading supplier was Mauritania, which accounted for no less than 70 percent of the total.

Tags: #Korea # octopus #imports #exports #recover

On 24 March, Guangdong Province of the People’s Republic of China issued a set of developmental policies explicitly targeting the ready meals industry https://dc.gd.gov.cn/hlwdc/zc/content/post_3924011.html), which cover technical support, regulatory mechanism, value chain, SMEs, capacity building, cold chain, retailing, international markets, among other areas. This is a new initiative proposed by this coastal province in South China, a pioneer in China’s many reforms.

According to Guangdong Government, there are 5 369 registered enterprises in the ready meals industry in Guangdong, about 7.5 percent in China . Ready meals typically refer to finished or semi-finished food made of grain, livestock, poultry, aquatic products, and vegetables, mainly in three forms, i.e., ready-to-eat, ready-to-heat, and ready-to-cook. With the boom of the “otaku economy” and stay-at-home culture, as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ready meals industry has seen rapid growth. Some analysts estimate the market size  about CNY 345.9 billion (USD 51.7 billion) in 2021.

The promulgation of the anti-food waste law in 2021 and associated campaigns set the road for the greening of the food industry in the 14th Five-Year Plan Period, while the guiding document for promoting the development of the food industry has stimulated the market. The rapid development of the cold chain is also an important facilitator. According to the Chinese State Council, the cold chain had a market size of CNY 380 billion (USD 56.8 billion) in 2020,  larger than the market size in 2015. The release of the cold-chain logistics development plan in the 14th Five-Year Period (see policy update in Chinese Fish Price Report Issue 1 2022-Policy Update), with its emphasis on fresh food, may contribute significantly to the ready meals industry, allowing for food to be transported farther, quicker and distributed with high quality. 

Some aquatic products are popular for ready meals, such as grass carp, seabass, Basa catfish, crayfish, and bullfrog. The 2022 Instant Food Consumption Trend Report for JD.com, one of the top online retailers in China, shows that fish and aquaculture products are among the top 10 most popular ingredients. Some dishes, like fried spicy crayfish and cooked fish with pickled vegetables, are quite famous. No doubt, ready meals will be the new growth point for aquatic products.

Tags: #China #readymeals #policy

On 23 May, China announced its fishing ban policy applicable to Chinese-flagged fishing vessels on the high sea for 2022 (official document in Chinese: http://www.moa.gov.cn/govpublic/YYJ/202205/t20220525_6400465.htm). All Chinese fishing vessels operating on the high seas, excluding tuna purse seiner and tuna longlines fishing vessels, are not allowed to fish in the designated areas for a specific period (see Table 1).

This is the third year China has applied such a policy and the first year addressing fishing activities in the northern Indian Ocean. Although it is too early to assess how this policy may contribute to the recovery of fisheries resources on the high seas, especially for cephalopod species, it shows commitment to engaging in international fisheries governance. According to the report by China Fisheries Journal, such policy covers around 70 enterprises with about 1 500 fishing vessels with squid as its main targeting species[1].

[1] The data is from a report of China Fisheries Journal. Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/6G2e10tCVS9E3ElmfVZJMQ.

On 31 May 2022, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA), Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and the General Administration of the Customs of the People’s Republic of China issued the Measures for Managing Invasive Alien Species” (“Measures”), which will take effect on 1 August 2022 (The Measures in Chinese. Link: www.customs.gov.cn/hangzhou_customs/575609/zlbd/@3429438/3429439/4412962/index.html). It is a significant regulation of the Biosecurity Law of the People’s Republic of China and a major milestone for regulating biosecurity and protecting biodiversity in China.  

The Measures encompass several points, such as: 

• The establishment of an inter-ministerial coordination mechanism for preventing and controlling invasive alien species with MARA as the lead authority in regulation and coordination. 

• The need to conduct nationwide assessments of alien species by MARA every ten years, with a list of alien species, and develop technical rules and standards for monitoring, risk assessment, early warning, and prevention and control. 

• The control measures should be developed on source prevention, monitoring and early warning, governance, and restoration, to cover all critical aspects from the import of alien species to end-use. 

• The import of new species requires risk analysis and approval from competent provincial agriculture, forestry, grass authorities, and Customs. 

• Companies shall take measures to prevent species from escaping into the natural environment. 

• The establishment of a monitoring system, conducting regular monitoring and assessment and sharing and publishing information on alien species. 

• The control of the spread of alien species and, where necessary, recovery of the ecological system. 

• According to law, the public is encouraged to participate in prevention and control work. 

Considering this new regulation, the control measures for the storage, transportation, and production of certain species may become stricter. 

Tags: #China #biosecurity #biodiversity #fisheries #alien

The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, together with the National Development and Reform Commission, released the Carbon Mitigation and Storage Implementation Scheme (“Scheme”) on 7 May 2022 (in Chinese. http://www.kjs.moa.gov.cn/hbny/202206/t20220629_6403713.htm). It sets out targets to reduce emission intensity as its lead policy, emphasizing the commitment to dealing with climate change, especially realizing the “3060” goals.

For the fisheries and aquaculture sector, the Scheme sets up the following main tasks:

• Development of green aquaculture, such as integrated rice-fish farming, ecological aquaculture in large inland waters, and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, and reduce methane emissions;
• Development of shellfish farming on tidal-flat and nearshore areas with good management, build a marine ranch, and promote a multi-layered ecological aquaculture system for improvement of carbon storage capacity;
• Reduce emissions from fish vessels and machines.

To meet these targets, the Scheme lists some key actions, including phasing-out old vessels, aquaculture upgrading projects, marine ranch projects, use of renewable energy, and improvement of monitoring systems and statistical capacity.

Tags: #China #Carbon #mitigation #fisheries #aquaculture #policy

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced plans to roll out fuel support for the fishing sector amid the surging fuel prices. The scheme has been launched in partnership with two oil companies. 

According to the press release statement, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) has put in place a point-based system to determine eligible candidates that would reap the benefits of the fuel support scheme. The points are allocated on parameters such as - gross income, receipt of any marine engine subsidies, fishing frequency, year in which the boats were enlisted in the Ministry’s public register, and the number of family members. According to estimates, in 2022, the scheme would benefit 478 fishers. The decision came after meetings with heads of fishers’ associations to discuss the challenges and opportunities affecting the nation's fishing industry. 

In addition, the government has eased the licensing procedures by simplifying the process for the transfer of fishing boat licenses and renewals. Also, the government has amended some provisions concerning the exploitation, protection, and development of living aquatic resources related to the fishing profession through changes in Executive Regulations of the Federal Law No. 23 of 1999. These changes emphasise the importance of ensuring the sustainability of the fishing stocks, given the sector’s contribution to the UAE’s food security.  

UAE is looking to grow its fisheries and aquaculture industry which is driven largely by its small-scale fishers. UAE’s exports of fisheries and aquaculture products in 2021 were valued at USD 248.6 million.

Tags: #UAE #fishing #fuel #regulations #development

On 8 July 2022, the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) announced Notice No.58 of 2022, which provides and optimizes current COVID-19 preventative measures for imported cold-chain food. According to the Notice, for cold-chain food that tested positive for COVID-19 at the Customs inspection, GACC shall investigate actions taken by the exporting countries in contamination prevention and examine whether their food safety management and operations comply with the import requirements of China. The food tested COVID-19 positive will be disposed according to the guiding documents on cold-chain food by the State Council (Notice No. 58 in Chinese: www.customs.gov.cn/manzhouli_customs/566020/3392762/566021/4461439/index.html). 

The Notice replaces Notice No.103, announced on 11 September 2020. According to the 2020 Notice, once the cold-chain food or its packaging tested COVID-19 positive, GACC will immediately suspend the importation from relevant enterprises for one to four weeks. From January to March 2022 alone, 122 temporary suspensions were issued, of which 97.5 percent of notices were for aquatic products, including frozen white leg shrimp, frozen hairtail, frozen pangasius, and others. 

The new Notice is believed to ease the control measures. At the same time, it puts more emphasis on source control, i.e., stricter requirements on safety control of exporting countries and enterprises. In addition, there are changes in disposing of food tested COVID-19 positive. Not all food tested COVID-19 positive is withdrawn from the market. If the packages were tested COVID-19 positive, food might enter the market after proper package disinfection. Food may enter the market after ultra-high temperature (UHT) treatments are provided. 

Tags: #China #COVID-19 #fisheries #aquaculture #seafood #import #regulations