For 30 years Europe’s Fisheries Ministers have made poor decisions that have resulted in overfishing, sending our fishing industry into decline. Now many European fishing fleets concentrate their fishing efforts elsewhere, increasing the pressure on fish stocks globally. If this continues we will bankrupt our oceans and our fishing economy.
This month all that could change as the European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee debates and votes on the future of our oceans. They have an opportunity to correct decades of mismanagement. Let them know their vote is vital. This week WWF launched a short animation and e-action to various MEPs on the Committee asking them to support progressive reform. Take action at www.wwf.eu/stopbankrupting and choose your country and then pass this message onto colleagues and friends.
Recent analysis from WWF shows that with ambitious reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, European fishermen could be landing an additional 2.8 million tons of fish and generating an extra 2.1 billion euros annually. Reform of the Common Fisheries policy would:
- ensure fish populations are above levels which can support maximum sustainable yield (BMSY) by 2015;
- establish multi-annual plans by 2015 and fishery-based co-management groups involving all stakeholders;
- enhance cooperation at regional level on sustainable management of fish stocks;
- stop the wasteful practice of discarding unwanted fish while bringing unwanted catches close to zero by 2018, at the latest;
- limit subsidy payments to sustainable fishing practices
Photo courtesy of WWF
