EU deal to end over-fishing and boost fish stocks
The European Union agrees to end decades of over-fishing and replenish diminishing stocks by 2020, as part of a deal to reform the bloc’s fishing policy.
The new EU common fisheries policy will end the annual bartering process over catch quotas by EU ministers in Brussels, which has been criticised for putting short-term money-making interests above the lasting health of Europe’s fish stocks.
There will be a commitment to follow scientific and environmental advice more closely when setting quotas in the future, which could reportedly increase EU fish stocks by up to 15 million tonnes by the end of the decade.
The reform also intends to dramatically reduce the wasteful practice known as discarding, which sees European fishing vessels dump 1.7 million tonnes of unwanted fish back into the sea every year – often dead or dying – because they are required to fill strict quotas with the most valuable species.
Learning the lessons
Liberal Democrat MEP and secretary of the European parliament’s “Fish for the Future” group Chris Davies described it as a major step in encouraging sustainable fishing.
“Our treatment of Europe’s seas has been a disgrace. Over-fishing has destroyed the jobs of tens of thousands of fishermen and left us dependent on imports for more than half the fish we eat.
Over-fishing has destroyed the jobs of tens of thousands of fishermen and left us dependent on imports. Chris Davies, MEP
“But we have learnt lessons. Across Europe there is a strong desire now to listen to the scientists, rebuild fish stocks, cut discards, and give our fishing industry a better future,” he said.
Regarding fish discards – believed to be up to a quarter of all EU catches – Davies said the deal proposes that by 2019, fishermen will legally have to land 95 per cent of all fish caught.
Until now, quota restrictions have seen them sometimes forced to discard as much as 80 per cent if, for instance they are supposed to catch hake and end up landing cod.
“Fishermen will now have to fish more sensibly and actually catch the fish they’re trying to get,” he told Channel 4 News.
Years of over-fishing
The EU’s estimated 1bn euros per year common fisheries policy has been criticised for driving years of over-fishing, with generous funding leading to vast fleets which are chasing too few fish.
Consequently, figures suggest that 75 per cent of European fish stocks are currently over-fished, compared with 25 per cent worldwide. The new agreement will require EU fishing nations to reduce the size of their fleets or face losing certain funds.
Responding to news of the agreement, Helen McLachlan, fisheries programme manager at WWF-UK, told Channel 4 News it appeared to lack key timelines and the biggest barrier would be “political will to achieve these aspirations”.
She emphasised however, the importance of the intention to reduce fish discards by improving catching methods so that fewer fish are caught in the first place.
The devil is in the detail of how it will be implemented and enforced. Helen McLachlan, WWF-UK
According to Davies, Britain was central in securing the deal, which he believes is significant in the context of whether we should remain in the EU.
“The common fisheries policy is one of the few things they [the European Parliament] mention. It is proof that Britain can play a leading role in influencing EU reform.
“This would not be happening without British influence and support,” he said.
Asked how successful the reform is likely to be long-term, Helen McLachlan said: “The devil is in the detail of how it will be implemented and enforced… We do need to allow time for fisheries to respond to the changes.”
Europe had the third highest fish catches globally after China and Indonesia in 2010, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation.
Europe’s biggest fishing nations are Spain, France, Britain and Denmark, which together account for about half of all EU catches.