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Il referendum in Islanda sull’Unione Europea. il rifiuto del centralismo e la vittoria della sussidiarietà reale

30 August 2026 at 23:19
L’Islanda come baluardo contro l’omologazione tecnocratica Nella complessa e turbolenta architettura istituzionale dell’Occidente contemporaneo, la data del 29 agosto 2026 rimarrà ricordata come uno spartiacque di fondamentale importanza, in cui ...

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Adaptaciones – Por Juan Manuel de Prada

30 August 2026 at 00:33
Por Juan Manuel de Prada Se ha discutido mucho este verano sobre la ‘adaptación’ de La Odisea perpetrada por Christopher Nolan, en algunos casos para ensalzarla, en otros para denigrarla;…

Il mito dello “scrocco”: Perché l’America ha un disperato bisogno di un’Europa in trincea

28 August 2026 at 23:03
L’Europa ha beneficiato della difesa degli Stati Uniti “a scrocco”? Il punto fondamentale di tutta questa storia è uno solo: gli Stati Uniti non hanno mai protetto l’Europa per beneficenza. ...

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Commission proposes fishing opportunities for 2027 in the Baltic Sea

27 August 2026 at 08:00

On 24 August, the Commission adopted its proposal for the 2027 fishing opportunities for the Baltic Sea. The proposal sets the total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas for the ten EU-managed fish stocks in the Baltic Sea: Bothnian herring, central Baltic herring, Gulf of Riga herring, sprat, plaice, Main Basin salmon, Gulf of Finland salmon, western Baltic cod, eastern Baltic cod, and western Baltic herring. 
 
It responds to scientific assessments that highlight the critical state of several fisheries and allows for continuing the rebuilding trajectories for relevant stocks. 

The Commission proposes to increase fishing opportunities for Bothnian herring (+3%), central Baltic herring (+49%), Gulf of Riga herring (+11%) and sprat (+44%). Catches of plaice, salmon in the Main basin and in the Gulf of Finland would remain unchanged compared to this year. In addition, based on the latest reporting by Member States, the Commission proposes to reduce the allocations of unavoidable by-catches – fish unwantedly caught by fishers - of western Baltic cod (-88%), eastern Baltic cod (-51%) and western Baltic herring (-45%).  

These proposed TACs are based on the best available scientific advice from the International Council on the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) and follow the Baltic Sea multiannual management plan adopted in 2016 by the European Parliament and the Council. 

Cod 

For eastern Baltic cod, the Commission has proposed to keep a catch limit for unavoidable by-catches and all the accompanying measures in place already for several years. However, since the stock continues to be in bad condition, the by-catch limit should be adjusted, based on the number of by-catches reported by each Member State in 2025. Despite the measures taken since 2019, when scientists first warned about the poor status of cod, the situation has not improved. 

The situation is similar for western Baltic cod. The Commission therefore proposes to adjust the by-catch TAC to address a deteriorated condition of the stock, and to keep all the accompanying measures. 

Herring 

The stock size of western Baltic herring remains significantly below minimum levels. The Commission proposes removing the exemption for small-scale coastal fisheries and adjusting the TAC to unavoidable by-catches only. 

The stock size of Bothnian herring is larger than previously estimated but still below sustainable levels. With the maximum catch levels contained in the ICES advice, the stock size would continue to decrease. In order to continue the rebuilding trajectory, the Commission proposes a TAC level which keeps the fishing mortality rate stable and increases the stock size. The Commission also proposes to keep the three-month spawning closure – restricting fishing during reproduction periods - in shallow coastal waters.  

The stock size of central Baltic herring has increased but remains below sustainable levels. ICES forecasts a positive stock development due to high estimated recruitment. In order to continue the rebuilding trajectory, the Commission proposes a cautious approach and to set the TAC at the level which keeps the fishing mortality rate stable. In addition, the Commission proposes to keep the three-month spawning closure in shallow coastal waters. 

Herring in the Gulf of Riga is healthy, and the Commission proposes to set the catch limits according to the maximum advised by ICES. 

Plaice 

Scientific advice recommends a slight increase, but the Commission proposes to keep the TAC unchanged due to the bad condition of individual fish. In addition, new measures for flatfish fisheries, including plaice, entered into force last year. These measures will help improve the sustainability of flatfish fishing, notably by reducing unwanted cod by-catches – which still occur frequently. 

Sprat 

After several difficult years the size of the sprat stock has increased significantly due to recent very high reproduction rates. ICES estimates that the stock will continue to increase. The Commission therefore proposes setting the TAC at the advised maximum and to discontinue the three-month spawning closure.  

Salmon 

ICES did not publish a new advice for 2027. The Commission therefore proposes to maintain the (by-catch) TAC levels and the accompanying conditions for the two salmon TACs, with the exception of recreational fishing on reared salmon which should stop.  

Next steps 

Based on these proposals, EU countries will take a final decision to determine the maximum quantities of the most important commercial fish species that can be caught in the Baltic Sea. The Council will examine the Commission's proposal in view of reaching a political agreement during its meeting on 26-27 October 2026. The formal adoption by the Council will follow later in the course of November. 

Background 

The fishing opportunities proposal is part of the European Union's approach to adjust the levels of fishing to long-term sustainability targets, called maximum sustainable yield (MSY), as agreed by the European Parliament and the Council in the Common Fisheries Policy. The Commission's proposal is also in line with the Multiannual Plan for the management of cod, herring and sprat in the Baltic Sea and with the policy intentions expressed in the Commission's Communication 'Sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2027'. 

The current situation is difficult for fishers as stocks are subject to various pressures which have led to the degradation of the Baltic Sea's biodiversity, such as high nutrient inputs and persistently high levels of contaminants. These stressors, in part, stem from failures to implement EU legislation. Furthermore, the scientific advice also recognises the impact of misreporting of fishing, without being able to quantify it. Misreporting potentially leads to hidden overfishing. 

The Baltic Sea is the most polluted sea in Europe. It is affected by biodiversity loss, climate change, eutrophication, past and probably current hidden overfishing, and elevated levels of contaminants such as pharmaceuticals and litter. Concerned about this dire situation, the European Commission organised several editions of the Our Baltic Conferences in 2020, 2023 and 2025 to bring together Ministers from the eight EU countries surrounding the Baltic Sea (Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Finland and Sweden). 

For more information 

Questions and answers

Proposal fishing opportunities Baltic Sea 2027

Table: Overview of TAC changes 2026-2027 (figures in tones except for salmon, which is in number of pieces)

 20262027
Stocks and ICES fishing zones; subdivisionCouncil agreement (in tonnes & % change from 2025 TAC)Commission proposal (in tonnes & % change from 2026 TAC)
Western Cod 22-24266 (0%) 31 (-88%) 
Eastern Cod 25-32 430 (0%)211 (-51%)
Western Herring 22-24788 (0%)437 (-45%)
Bothnian Herring 30-3155 869 (-16%)57 308 (+3%)
Central Herring 25-27, 28.2, 29, 3296 463 (+15%)143 860 (+49%)
Riga Herring 38.134 367 (-17%)28 183 (+11%)
Sprat 22-32201 975 (+45%)291 590 (+44%)
Plaice 22-3210 973 (-3%)10 973 (0%)
Main Basin Salmon 22-3125 537 (-27%)25 537 (0%)
Gulf of Finland Salmon 3210 232 (+1%)10 232 (0%)

* Updated on 25 August 2026, at 14:16 CEST

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Maritime affairs and fisheries

The Children a Scientist Took Home

24 August 2026 at 12:00

Carleton Gajdusek won the Nobel Prize for his work on a disease in Papua New Guinea. But his biggest experiment was on the children he took from the field to the US—many of whom he sexually molested, with the knowledge and, in some cases, approval of his professional peers and colleagues:

In his journals and in letters to colleagues, Gajdusek was self-righteous, arguing that what he’d done was “no more serious than lying on the grass or picking a dandelion,” and he cited the Anga initiation rites as justification. These ceremonies had brought boys into their communities, as part of a shared passage into manhood, but Gajdusek treated them as a timeless license for the acts that he’d committed privately, one boy at a time. George Klein, a professor at the Karolinska Institute, in Stockholm, who was part of the Nobel Assembly for thirty-six years, validated Gajdusek’s opinions, telling him that he wondered if “the Western world can ‘catch up with you.’” He wrote, “I share your indignation about the typically Jewish-Christian-Moslem hypocrisy on sexual matters.” Gajdusek was troubled, though, by how many colleagues wrote letters saying that they knew the charges must be untrue. “I thought better of my friends,” he said. “They are dissimulating and lying.”



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Two dead, nine injured from the wildfire in Salamina island near Athens

16 August 2026 at 16:27

Two people have died and at least nine suffered burn injuries during the wildfire that broke on the island of Salamina close to Athens in the early afternoon on Sunday, August 16, 2016. The fire allegedly broke out in two fronts in Peristeria and Selinia within 15 minutes. According to initial information, the first fire […]

The post Two dead, nine injured from the wildfire in Salamina island near Athens appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.

Sailing ban, ferry itineraries modifications due to gale-force winds

14 August 2026 at 10:41

Port authorities imposed a sailing ban from the ports of Lavrio and Rafina in south-eastern Attica on Friday, August 14, 2026, while some ferry itineraries from the port of Piraeus were cancelled on Friday morning due to gale-force winds. Mostly affected by the strong winds are the islands in the Aegean Sea and Crete. Modifications […]

The post Sailing ban, ferry itineraries modifications due to gale-force winds appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.

La trappola nascosta nelle regole fiscali europee

12 August 2026 at 10:00

Le regole di bilancio europee si basano ora sui piani fiscali di medio periodo e sulle traiettorie della spesa netta dei paesi. Ma come si distingue la parte del disavanzo dovuta alle decisioni del governo da quella prodotta dalla congiuntura economica?

L'articolo La trappola nascosta nelle regole fiscali europee proviene da Lavoce.info.

Helicopter lands on fragile rocks of Sarakiniko beach on Milos (Video)

9 August 2026 at 12:22

The landing of a private helicopter on the famous beach of Sarakiniko on the island of Milos has provoked strong reactions and questions about the incident. The Civil Aviation Authority of Greece intervened a few hours after the incident became known. Footage filmed by a local businessman showed the helicopter landing, the passengers to disembark […]

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Die Kriegsgefahr in Asien und die Rolle der USA dabei

9 August 2026 at 09:00
Aus geopolitischer Sicht ist die Genese des Ukraine-Krieges erstaunlich einfach und gradlinig: Die USA wollten ihren Konkurrenten Russland schwächen und haben dazu mit dem Maidan 2014 die Kontrolle über die Ukraine übernommen, indem sie dort ein radikal anti-russisches Regime installiert und aufgerüstet haben, wobei sie darauf geachtet haben, dass die Europäer den Löwenanteil der Kosten […]

«La Odisea» de Nolan – Por Juan Manuel de Prada

9 August 2026 at 00:54
Por Juan Manuel de Prada Hemos visto, al fin, la adaptación de ‘La Odisea’ perpetrada por el engreído Christopher Nolan. La realización nos ha parecido tosca, la planificación huérfana de…

La verità su Zelensky? Parla la sua ex portavoce. “Dittatore, narcisista, ostacolo alla pace”

6 August 2026 at 23:05
Le rivelazioni di Yuliia Mendel, che è stata per due anni il volto dell’amministrazione presidenziale ucraina, dipingono un ritratto inquietante del presidente. Accuse di corruzione, manipolazione, uso del fronte come ...

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