The Port Reception Facilities (PRF) Directive is due to be reviewed by 2014, and Seas At Risk has been working with IEEP to identify how the Directive can be improved to effectively tackle a significant source of marine litter.
Civil society organisations from across the EU are today calling on EU Member States to up their level of ambition and tighten marine litter reduction targets with the aim of ending the marine litter problem within a generation.
At the Fisheries Council meeting yesterday, EU Ministers spoke out in support of a discard ban despite a concerted effort by France and Spain to get rid of the proposal in the ongoing reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. Ministers also took the first formal step of agreement on aspects of the CFP reform by adopting conclusions on the external dimension.
Environment groups are this week pushing for the UN’s International Maritime Organisation to support tough new rules for ships using polar waters.
After heated negotiations going on until the early hours, EU Fisheries ministers have finalised their negotiation position on the discard ban and some other aspects of basic regulation of the CFP, outlining a pretty dire approach to resolving the problems associated with discards and overfishing.
In advance of the December Fisheries Council meeting and where fishing limits for 2013 will be set, SAR and FISH are calling on EU Fisheries Ministers to follow scientific advice and set limits that enable the EU to rebuild fish stocks to sustainable levels.
This week will see the European Parliament vote on the most important file on the reform of the CFP and Fisheries Ministers will set next year’s fishing limits. In advance of the Fisheries Council meeting, SAR and FISH are calling on Ministers to follow scientific advice and set limits that enable the EU to rebuild fish stocks to sustainable levels.
EU countries are not being ambitious enough in implementing the Marine Directive, national targets for 2020 are too weak and there are major shortcomings in coordination at the international level. These are the key findings of a survey held among European NGOs earlier this year.
Two recent economic studies show that the costs associated with temporarily reducing or halting fishing to allow stocks to recover are far outweighed by the economic benefits of healthy fish stocks.
At the October Council meeting, European Fisheries Ministers have reached a provisional agreement on the future of EU fisheries subsidies, setting aside €975 million for controversial subsidies that maintain or increase the current overcapacity of fishing vessels and thus contribute to overfishing.
This position paper is a reaction to the recent European Commission’s Communication on Blue Growth, which ‘drives forward the Commission's Integrated Maritime Policy and launches a process which will place the blue economy firmly on the agenda of Member States, regions, enterprise and civil society.’
Environmental NGOs wish to express their concerns regarding some of the priorities set in the Blue Growth Communication and to contribute alternative ideas in shaping a truly sustainable blue economy.
Working alongside partners in the Clean Shipping Coalition, Seas At Risk and T&E have made a proposal to the International Maritime Organisation that could help break the deadlock in discussions on market-based measures to reduce the shipping sector's GHG footprint.
After an 18 hour negotiation marathon a scandalous lack of ambition has led ministers to backtrack on previous commitments and sanction another decade of overfishing, environmental destruction, and the loss of fisher jobs and livelihoods.
In a letter sent to EU Ministers ahead of the June Fisheries Council meeting, SAR and Fish have highlighted a list of key issues needing attention in order to repopulate European seas and enable a viable fishing sector through the reform of the CFP.
In an open letter to EU Fisheries Ministers ahead of their Council meeting 14-15 May, Seas At Risk and the Fisheries Secretariat are urging Ministers to manage harvested species at Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) and are advising them to use a greater share of the fisheries subsidy package to improve data collection and controls.
Ahead of the Fisheries Council meeting this week, Seas At Risk together with the Fisheries Secretariat sent an open letter to the Ministers, urging them not to support the mandatory use of market based Transferable Fishing Concessions as a way to regulate access to fisheries.
A study commissioned by the European Commission has analysed different possibilities for policy measures aimed at improving the marine environment. The study’s recommendations are a source of information for Member States when implementing the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and include examples of cost effective measures for the protection of the marine environment.
In an open letter sent to EU Ministers last month, SAR and FISH welcome the Commission proposal for regulation on the common organisation of the markets in fishery and aquaculture products as well as for a new Maritime and Fisheries Fund. However, the groups point out several caveats that need attention in the on-going reform of the CFP and that need urgent attention before the end of 2012.
Speed controls on shipping could save billions in lower ship fuel bills, cut air pollution and enable the shipping industry to play a full part in tackling climate change according to a new report.
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