A newly published report from RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, “Fishmeal and oil from Baltic Sea herring: current uses and challenges for full transparency” , provides a detailed examination of how herring caught in the Baltic Sea is processed and utilized across sectors, particularly aquaculture. Commissioned by WWF Sweden, the study draws on both industry data and stakeholder input from across the fishmeal, feed, and aquaculture supply chain.

The report’s primary focus is to assess the fate of industrial landings of Baltic herring and to identify the key barriers to full traceability through the value chain. The findings confirm that while fishmeal and oil producers are able to deliver detailed sourcing data, the next stages—particularly feed production—remain a critical bottleneck in efforts to trace raw materials to specific species, stocks, or end markets.

Measurable Use of Baltic Herring in Aquaculture

New estimates presented in the report suggest that Baltic herring can indeed play a traceable and measurable role in supporting salmonid aquaculture in both Norway and Sweden. One Norwegian producer reported that approximately 0.015 kg of live-weight Baltic herring was used per kg of live-weight salmon or trout in 2023. In Sweden, the estimated use of Baltic herring in aquafeeds was approximately 650 tonnes in 2023, corresponding to around 0.08 kg of live-weight Baltic herring used per kg of live-weight rainbow trout produced in Swedish aquaculture.

This use represents a form of net protein production from a local marine resource that is not generally recommended for direct human consumption in large quantities due to persistent contaminants such as dioxins. Through processing, the fishmeal industry is able to reduce these contaminants and valorize the raw material into a high-quality source of protein and lipids for aquafeeds that is then safe to enter the value chain. Although not a central focus of the report, the data suggest that Baltic herring processing contributes in a measurable way to regional food security.

Sector-Level Destinations: Aquaculture Dominates

Using mass-balance data from selected processing facilities, the report finds that the majority of Baltic herring fish oil is used in aquaculture (approximately 99.8%), with fishmeal also predominantly going to aquaculture (69.3%), followed by pet food and agriculture.

The report also highlights that while multiple factories around the Baltic Sea process pelagic species into fishmeal and oil, the level of detail in reported data varies substantially by country and company. In one case, only one national dataset (from Denmark) provided estimates sufficient to support downstream analysis of aquaculture use.

Traceability Bottlenecks in the Feed Sector

The report notes that while feed producers are legally required to maintain records of raw material sourcing, detailed stock-specific information is often difficult to extract from current internal systems. In most cases, data on the use of Baltic herring was either unavailable or only shared as rough estimates, often requiring manual compilation. This variation in data accessibility and reporting practices presents a challenge for full transparency

Moving Toward Improved Transparency

The report recommends feed producers to adopt more structured data management to enable better traceability, and that certification schemes consider stronger requirements for marine ingredient disclosure. While new standards, such as ASC’s updated Feed Standard, may offer improvements in the future, their effectiveness in delivering stock-level transparency remains to be seen. Importantly, the report also notes improvements compared to earlier studies, citing more granular data from some industry participants and a more detailed picture of Baltic herring’s contribution to aquaculture supply chains.

Sandeelsæsonen startede i år den 1. april. De gældende betingelser for sandeelfiskeri i 2025 fremgår af bekendtgørelse nr. 12 om øjeblikkelig regulering, som kan læses på Fiskeristyrelsens hjemmeside– click here. 

ICES’ rådgivning om sandeelfiskeri i de enkelte forvaltningsområder i 2025 kan læses og downloades fra ICES’ hjemmeside – here. 

DTU Aquas tobis-skrabningsekspedition , der blev gennemført i november-december 2024, viste et relativt lavt tilskud af ungfisk til bestanden. På baggrund heraf og den biologiske rådgivning er den samlede danske tobis-kvote for 2025 fastsat til 102.639 ton , hvilket svarer til en reduktion på 17,2 % i forhold til sidste års fiskerimuligheder

Nyheder i voldgiftssagen UK-Sandeel (Den Europæiske Union mod Det Forenede Kongerige Storbritannien og Nordirland) i tvisten mellem EU og Storbritannien om manglende adgang til britiske farvande for tobisfiskeri findes here.

Tobis landet i uge 27: 3.517 tons.
I alt (uge 14-29): 79.231 tons.

Tobis landet i uge 26 i Norge: 0 tons.
I alt (uge 14-29): 20.186 tons.

I alt for landet: 99.417 tons.

71,98% af den samlede europæiske kvote (110.078) er landet i Danmark. Den danske andel af landingerne er 79,7%, og den norske andel er 20,3 %.

Tobisfiskeriet starter officielt og markerer begyndelsen på en ny sæson i et af de vigtigste fiskerier i Nordsøen. Sæsonen begynder uden adgang til britisk farvand, hvilket fortsat lægger pres på de samlede tilgængelige fangstområder. Ikke desto mindre er der en forventning i erhvervet om, at det vil være muligt at fiske den tildelte kvote.

En afgørelse i voldgiftssagen om adgang til britisk farvand afventes stadig. Afgørelsen forventes at få væsentlig betydning for fremtidige sæsoner og for mulighederne for en mere fleksibel forvaltning og planlægning af fiskeriet.

I år er kvoten (t):

1r: 70.807
2r: 39.159
3r: 0
4r: 0
6r: 112

Fangstniveauerne i tobisfiskeriet har varieret over de seneste fem år og giver et indblik i fiskeriets udvikling:

2020: 169.783 tons, 2021: 69.603 tons, 2022: 73.212 tons, 2023: 111.870 tons, 2024: 69.128 tons

Udviklingen i landinger pr. uge og de akkumulerede mængder over de seneste fem år viser sæsonforløbet og den variation i fiskelandinger, der kan forekomme.

Data viser, at udbyttet pr. fangst af tobis er højere senere på sæsonen, hvilket giver et højere indhold af værdifuld fiskeolie. Denne forskel i udbytte afspejles typisk også i afregningspriserne, hvilket har betydning for både mængden af ​​landinger og den samlede økonomiske værdi af fiskeriet gennem sæsonen.

MID påbegynder samtidig den ugentlige rapportering om tobislandinger, som løbende vil blive opdateret. Rapporteringen vil give et overblik over fiskeriets fremdrift og mængderne, der landes, hen over sæsonen.

Omega-3 fatty acids—long valued for their cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory benefits—are also becoming a key player in the science of longevity.

The question of how fast we age biologically—rather than just chronologically—has been a growing focus in scientific research. While the number of years we have lived is easy to measure, the actual pace of aging at the cellular level can vary significantly from person to person. Lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, and nutrient intake play a crucial role in this process, and recent advances in DNA methylation (DNAm) clocks have provided a way to quantify these effects. A large clinical study has now provided compelling evidence that omega-3 supplementation, vitamin D, and regular exercise can slow the progression of biological ageing. Over three years, more than 2,000 older adults were monitored to assess whether these interventions could influence four key DNA methylation clocks (PhenoAge, GrimAge, GrimAge2 and DunedinPACE), which serve as biomarkers for aging at the molecular level, over 3 years.

You cand read more about the study here

Slowing the Clock: Omega-3’s Distinct Role

Among the findings, omega-3 supplementation stood out for its measurable impact on biological ageing. Individuals taking omega-3 alone showed notable reductions in PhenoAge, GrimAge2, and DunedinPACE—three of the measured epigenetic markers associated with aging-related health risks. The effect was further amplified when combined with vitamin D and exercise, with the combined intervention reducing biological aging by an estimated 2.9–3.8 months over three years. Beyond its influence on aging markers, omega-3 supplementation was also linked to a 13% reduction in infections and a 10% decrease in falls, reinforcing its broader role in supporting resilience and overall health. Interestingly, those with lower baseline omega-3 levels experienced the most pronounced improvements, pointing to the potential for targeted nutritional strategies based on individual needs.

Shifting Perspectives on Nutrition and Aging

The notion that diet can influence aging is not new, but studies like this provide tangible, clinical evidence that specific nutrients actively modulate the aging process at a fundamental, genetic level. While research into biological aging is still evolving, the findings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that omega-3 intake is not just beneficial but potentially essential in maintaining long-term health. With an aging global population increasingly focused on preventive health measures, the role of marine-derived omega-3s in slowing biological aging may soon become as widely recognized as their benefits for heart and brain health.

Fisheries management relies heavily on the concept of maximum sustainable yield (MSY), a principle that has been at the forefront of global and European Union policies for decades. Under the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy, maintaining fishing catches at or below MSY levels has been a cornerstone of sustainable fisheries management. A critical component of this approach is FMSY—the level of fishing mortality that achieves the maximum sustainable yield over the long term.

Recent studies, however, highlight the need for a paradigm shift in how FMSY is calculated and implemented. Traditionally, FMSY estimates assume that fish growth and natural mortality remain constant, with density-dependent effects confined to the early stages of fish life (e.g., recruitment). But this simplification excludes the variability in growth, natural mortality (M), and maturity that occurs as fish populations respond to environmental conditions and food availability which can also be linked to density. New research, published in the ICES Journal of Marine Science, challenges this conventional approach and underscores the significant impact of density dependence on FMSY and MSY estimates.

You can find the recent paper here 

Key Findings from the Research

The research explored how accounting for density dependence in fish growth and natural mortality can affect fishing mortality reference points. It evaluated the effects of density-dependent growth and natural mortality on FMSY using age-structured models, estimated FMSY with simpler surplus-production models that incorporate density-dependent dynamics, and compared these results with those from traditional models assuming constant growth and M.

The findings show that incorporating density-dependent factors leads to higher FMSY estimates compared to conventional models. In many cases, MSY values also increased when density dependence was included, though the changes were less pronounced than for FMSY. Surplus-production models that account for density dependence produced estimates of FMSY closer to the “true” value than age-based predictions that assumed constant growth and M. These results suggest that overlooking density-dependent processes in fisheries models may result in overly conservative quotas, potentially limiting sustainable fishing opportunities.

Implications for Fisheries Management

The implications of these findings are significant for fisheries management. By including density-dependent growth and natural mortality, managers can align quotas more closely with biological and environmental realities, adopt adaptable strategies that reflect changes in fish growth and survival, and address systematic biases in current FMSY calculations. This could lead to healthier fish stocks and ecosystems over time. However, adopting these advanced methods is not without challenges. Estimating density-dependent effects introduces more complexity and uncertainty into stock assessments. Higher FMSY values could increase fishing pressure, risking overfishing if models are not carefully calibrated. Additionally, significant changes in data collection, modeling, and policy frameworks would be required to implement these methods effectively. The authors of the research recommend a cautious approach, supported by robust data collection and management strategy evaluations. These evaluations are essential to test the robustness of new methods under various scenarios and mitigate risks of unsustainable fishing practices.

The EU has requested the establishment of an arbitration tribunal under the dispute settlement mechanism of the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) regarding the United Kingdom’s decision to prohibit sandeel fishing. The tribunal would assess the compatibility of this measure with the TCA.

Since 26 March 2024, this prohibition applies to fishing in English waters of the North Sea and all Scottish waters, restricting EU vessels from accessing the sandeel fishery. The EU has questioned the alignment of this ban with the TCA and, in April 2024, initiated consultations with the UK to seek a mutually acceptable resolution. With consultations concluding without an agreement, the EU remains open to one, and the next step in the dispute settlement process is the establishment of an arbitration tribunal.

When managing shared resources, the EU and UK are expected to make non-discriminatory, proportionate decisions based on the best available scientific evidence. Fishing opportunities for sandeel are established based on scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, which supports sustainable stock management. The EU is committed to promoting environmental, social, and economic sustainability, acting to protect and restore marine ecosystems under the common fisheries policy, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, and in line with TCA obligations.

The Sandeel season ended in July, concluding a challenging year for the fishery with no access to fishing in UK waters where the EU fishery has traditionally taken place. This year EFFOP estimates that the total EU uptake was 90,000 tonnes, 72% of the allocation.

EFFOP expresses its full support for the EU’s recent request to initiate an arbitration tribunal under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) framework.