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Weekly Overview: Harmful Algal Blooms Expected to Increase in Freshwater Lakes Around the World

Nutrition Sustainability Politics +1 more

ANALYSIS - In this week's news, new research suggests that climate change and nutrient enrichment are making algal blooms in freshwater lakes and estuaries more toxic, writes Lucy Towers, TheFishSite Editor.

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Researchers from Oregon State University and the University of North Carolina in the US stated that as nutrient enrichment increases, so will the proportion of toxin-producing strains of cyanobacteria in harmful algal blooms.

Cyanobacteria are highly adaptive and persistent and are adapting to new climatic conditions in a way that threatens the ecosystems and aquaculture and fishing operations in many lakes around the world.

In a widely welcomed decision, last week, members of the European Parliament voted against the reintroduction of subsidies for fleet renewal.

Members met to agree draft rules for the allocation of the European Marine and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), which should help fishermen to comply with new Common Fisheries Policy requirements.

As well as rejecting fleet renewal, members also voted for the introduction of a support package for young fishermen and for the increase in data collection to improve fisheries management.

EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki welcomed the outcome of the vote, saying: "I am pleased with the overall outcome of the vote. In particular, I welcome the decision to reject spending EU taxpayers' money on building new fishing vessels and to cap the amount of funds Member States can spend on fishing fleets. This will allow the EMFF to focus on funding projects which promote a sustainable future for the fishing industry and coastal communities."

In disease news, an outbreak of crayfish plague has been reported on a farm in Kvesjøen lake in the Nord-Trondelag area of Norway.

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