Seas At Risk joined 19 other NGOs in a call to fisheries ministers to ban fisheries for adult eel in all EU waters, including fresh water. Due to anthropogenic impacts there has been a dramatic reduction in the European eel in all the EU in the last 30 years, and less than 5% of the stock is left. Conservation efforts to protect this species have failed up to now. Since 2008 scientists have been advising to close the fisheries, but this has so far been ignored by the Ministers. The state of the European eel got to such critical level that immediate action is necessary to achieve the recovery of the species. A ban on the fishing on adult eels would allow them to spawn as a first step to recovery.
The European Parliament Fisheries Committee today voted on a proposal that will revise legislation on the protection of fisheries resources and marine ecosystems. The proposal merges more than 30 existing regulations and directives, all aimed at minimising the impacts of fishing on ecosystems. However, the proposal seriously weakens or deletes several existing measures.
Technical measures are the rules for where, when and how fishing may take place. These measures are fundamental to regulating the impact of fishing on stocks and marine ecosystems. Technical conservation measures will play a key role in achieving some of the main objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy. The document gives a list of key recommendations, which take into consideration how technical conservation measures can achieve these Common Fisheries Policy objectives. NGOs strongly urge members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries to vote in favour of amendments that strengthen the Commission’s proposal and increase protections for marine ecosystems.
Seas At Risk together with the Fisheries Secretariat sent to European Ministers the recommendations on the European Commission’s proposal on fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2018. The two NGOs ask Ministers to ensure a sustainable utilisation of our common marine resources. Documents are: The recommendations to the ministers, Annex on fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2018 and Annex on measures for the European eel. It’s possible to consult previous council recommendations here.
Seas At Risk welcomes the decision of the European Parliament for a robust North Sea multiannual management plan that will effectively see an end to overfishing of species living near the sea bottom in that region. The plan covers fish stocks that represent almost 70% of the North Sea catch.
To date, more than 100 fish stocks out of 153 are still being overfished in EU waters and the reduction of unwanted catches remains yet to be solved despite the attempts of regulation at EU level. According to the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy, discarding and overfishing are practices that have to come to an end within the EU by 2019 and 2020 respectively. However, Seas At Risk doubts that these goals will be achieved within the deadlines. Progress has been very slow and decisions have often been influenced by economic interests to the detriment of the environment.
Environmental NGOs called for an ambitious and science-based multiannual management plan for small pelagic stocks in the Adriatic Sea. Below the letter sent to the Fisheries Attachés of the EU Member States, the Committee on Fisheries of the European Parliament and in copy Commissioner Vella and DG MARE.
A new investigation by Corporate Europe Observatory and Seas at Risk reveals how Dutch and Spanish fishing lobbies have used press passes to access the EU Council building during crucial ministerial negotiations on fishing quotas.
While the new EU regulation on Data Collection will provide EU decision makers with a sufficient scope of data for more informed policy making, it also hides a few paradoxes.
Brussels - The EU’s Fisheries Council went on until the early morning today to agree on the North Sea and North-East Atlantic quotas for 2017. Once again Ministers failed to end overfishing. The agreed catch limits for several stocks for 2017, including cod in the Celtic Sea, Southern hake, and sole in the Bay of Biscay, are higher than the maximum sustainable yield levels recommended by scientist. This, despite Ministers’ commitments to end overfishing for all stocks by 2020 at the latest, as agreed under the Common Fisheries Policy.
London, 18 November 2016 - The annual meeting of the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission closed today without agreement regarding management of the deep-sea fish orange roughy. The Commission also agreed on total allowable catches of 7,500 tonnes for redfish in the Irminger Sea. These decisions leave both vulnerable species subject to overfishing, despite clear scientific advice to not allow any direct fishing for them.
Brussels - Seas At Risk and the Fisheries Secretariat have released their latest briefing on the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy in advance of the next Agrifish Council, with recommendations on Baltic Sea fishing quotas in 2017. The briefing outlines key considerations for the meeting of the Agrifish Council as it will for the first time agree on quotas after having adopted the Baltic Sea Multi-Annual Plan earlier this year.
Brussels - Seas At Risk and the Fisheries Secretariat have released their latest briefing on the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy in advance of next week’s Agrifish Council, with recommendations on fishing opportunities in 2017.
As part of its ongoing work to monitor, advise and improve on the outcomes of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy, Seas At Risk and the Fisheries Secretariat have since 2010 produced briefings on technical aspects of fisheries management in advance of meetings of EU Fisheries Ministers.
Brussels – The EU’s Fisheries Committee today adopted its report on the Data Collection Framework regulation (DCF), an effort that was designed to improve the information behind the Common Fisheries Policy.
The Baltic Multi Annual Plan process was meant to be the first step in better fisheries management - this blog from Seas At Risk Executive Director Monica Verbeek suggests it has not gone to plan
Brussels - The EU’s Fisheries Council went on until the early morning today to agree on new North Sea and North-East Atlantic quotas for 2016, and once again failed to end overfishing, despite their commitments under the reformed Common Fisheries Policy.
Brussels - The EU’s Fisheries and Agriculture Council on 14-15 December will decide whether to permit continued overfishing in the North Atlantic and North Sea in 2016. Fisheries ministers will be challenged to improve their poor performance to date in implementing the more ambitious Common Fisheries Policy and setting sustainable levels of ‘Total Allowable Catches’.
London - Seas At Risk attended the Annual Meeting of the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) and delivered a joint opening statement on behalf of the attending NGOs.
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