Source: Seas At Risk
The European Parliament plenary voted today on a proposal to merge and simplify a set of rules within current fisheries legislation. Despite being aimed at reducing the impacts of fisheries on the marine environment, the proposal adopted only serves to weaken existing protective legislation, without scientific justification.
Björn Stockhausen, Fisheries Policy Officer at Seas At Risk reacted to the decision: ‘The European Parliament has weakened the measures that have granted protection to the European seas for decades. These new diminished rules will undermine the health of marine ecosystems and the stability of fish stocks. This decision of a majority of European parliamentarians was undoubtedly hijacked by the vested interests of particular fishing fleets and regions.’
Following this vote there are now no quantitative binding targets to reduce the catch of small young fish in order to ensure they can reproduce and contribute to fish stocks before being caught. Without these targets, it will be up to regional groups of Member States to determine and implement regional recommendations if such reductions are to be achieved.
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