North-South divide at EU Fish Council; Cod, hake plans postponed; Russia and EU clash over N Atlantic fishing; Vietnam targets aquaculture expansion; Norwegian salmon merger plans fail; Russian herring market near capacity

摘要

The north-south split in the EU over reform of the Common Fisheries Policy widened at this week's Fisheries Council in Luxembourg. New French minister Herve Gaymard led the opposition to any extension of the Commission's powers to set TACs and quotas. Spain questioned the legality of ending funding for vessel construction, but faced outspoken opposition from the UK. Commissioner Fischler is hoping for a qualified majority in favour of the proposals. The EU Fisheries Council this week failed to reach agreement on recovery plans for cod and hake stocks in Community waters, following opposition to hake fishing cuts from southern member states and the European Parliament. The plans will next be discussed in October. Russia rejected EU proposals to reduce fishing fleets in the international waters of the North Atlantic at a recent meeting of the region's fisheries ministers. There was still no agreement on an overall TAC for blue whiting. The Vietnamese fisheries ministry is intensifying efforts to boost fish farming in paddy fields, and there is growing investment in intensive shrimp farming in many regions of the country. Two large US shareholders in Norwegian salmon farming company Fjord Seafood have succeeded in overturning its plans to merge with state-owned Cermaq. The merger would have produced the world's second largest salmon farming company, after Nutreco. The frozen herring markets of Moscow and St Petersburg were reported to be close to capacity by mid-May, with prices likely to fall. However, mackerel and salmon prices were rising.