Fisheries

• Monday, March 12th 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  Countries agree tighter port controls to combat illegal fishing

  

  A large group of countries attending a high level meeting on world fisheries in Rome have agreed to start a process leading to the adoption of a legally binding international agreement establishing control measures in ports where fish is landed, transhipped or processed in order to combat illegal fishing, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, announced Monday.

• Monday, March 5th 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  FAO sounds alarm on some high-seas fish stocks

  

  The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on Monday voiced “serious concern” over a number of species of fish caught on the high seas and called for better monitoring and management of the stocks.

• Thursday, March 1st 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  Chilean scientists to record blue whales “conversations”

  

  Marine Biologists from Chile's Blue Whale Center (CBA) have embarked on a new project to record the noises made by endangered blue whales off the coast of southern Chile. They hope to use their recordings to identify individual whales and learn more about how whales communicate with each other.

• Wednesday, February 28th 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  Japan cuts short 2006/07 Antarctic whale hunt season

  

  Japanese whalers have officially called off their annual Antarctic whale hunt following a devastating fire aboard the fleet's mother ship. Japan's Institute for Cetacean Research (ICR) has released a statement saying the whaling ships were on their way home early.

• Saturday, February 24th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Falklands Councillor voices human rights concerns

  As has been already reported in Penguin News, the Falkland Islands' (Malvinas) weekly newspaper, two crewmen are missing, presumed dead, after jumping into Stanley Harbour in an attempt to escape from a Taiwanese fishing boat, the Jih Da Gan. Eight companions were rescued by emergency services and have been helping local police with their enquiries.

• Friday, February 23rd 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Toothfish season hampered by ice

  Fifteen longliners fishing on the 3,000-tonne CCAMLR toothfish quota have all now left the fishery areas around Antarctica. Many vessels have experienced a season of difficult fishing conditions due to excessive ice.

• Thursday, February 22nd 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  The world's largest colossus squid fished in Antarctica

  

  An adult specimen of the world's largest known squid was hauled to the surface by a New Zealand longliner fishing for toothfish in Antarctic waters. The creature, known as a colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) and with eyes the size of a car tire weighed an estimated 450 kilograms.

• Wednesday, February 21st 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Chilean salmon and trout exports reach 2.2 billion in 2006

  Chilean salmon and trout exports in 2006 totaled 2.207 billion US dollars, up 28% over 2005 according to the Salmon Industry Association, (SalmonChile). United States was the main market for Chilean salmon and trout overtaking Japan.

• Tuesday, February 20th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Twelve Taiwanese crew members abandon ship in Falklands

  

  The Royal Falkland Islands Police is investigating the case of twelve crew members who abandoned a Taiwanese flagged fishing vessel anchored in Stanley Harbour.

• Thursday, February 15th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Four dead, 25 intoxicated in jigger accident in Montevideo

  

  Four crew members killed and 25 intoxicated including rescue workers was the final toll of an ammoniac escape/explosion on board a Korean jigger moored at the port of Montevideo.