European Parliament approves changes to fishing policy
New laws to prevent overfishing and stop the discarding of fish are gaining momentum.
There has been another victory in the fight for more sustainable fishing after the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly for reforms to the Common Fisheries Policy.
The changes proposed include a shift from agreeing quotas of fish that can be caught to limits based on scientific research about the sustainability of species. More importantly, there was agreement on ending the discarding of dead fish which have to be thrown back either because a quota limit has been reached, or because they’re the wrong species.
Discarded fish are thought to make up almost a quarter of current catches.
The MEPs actually voted for a stronger policy on sustainable fishing than was first proposed. This will allow fish stocks to recover to a level that over-fishing will limit by 2020 at the latest. These limits will be based on scientific evidence, and stocks will have to be maintained at these levels.
They also want to give priority to “small scale, artisanal or coastal fishermen”.
Another victory for the Fish Fight
The proposed changes follow a campaign of sustained lobbying by high-profile chefs, namely Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. After the announcement, he wrote on his blog: "I hope in years to come this will be seen as a historic turning point in Europe's fisheries management. It's over two years since we launched the Fish Fight campaign, and this is one of the major results we’ve been campaigning for."
Campaigner Markus Knigge told Reuters: "You have to look at fisheries not like a mine, but like a field. You have to cultivate it, not just take fish out."
The changes still have to gain agreement from member states, with the aim that they will become law next year. For example, it's not clear what happens to the fish that are caught but would have previously been discarded.
Last month, the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) removed mackerel from its Fish To Eat list, due to concerns it was being overfished in the north-west Atlantic.
To find out more about which species of fish are thriving and which are in danger, take a look at the MCS's Good Fish Guide website.
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