Stricter controls against overfishing in the EU | free press

2023-05-31 15:47:40

Many fish stocks in the EU are not doing well. New measures are intended to combat overfishing.

With more video surveillance on ships and satellite-based surveillance, regulations against environmentally harmful overfishing are to be better controlled in the EU in the future. “With the agreement, around 70 percent of the current regulations for the control of fishing vessels will be updated in order to make fishing in the EU more sustainable,” said the EU states after a decision by negotiators in the EU Parliament and the EU countries in the EU night to Wednesday with.

Anyone who clearly violates the protective measures must expect penalties that are at least twice as high as the average value of the fish caught, as announced by the European Parliament. Many fish stocks in waters around the EU are in poor condition. In addition to factors such as overfishing, other man-made problems such as climate change are affecting the animals. Environmentalists have therefore long been calling for fewer animals to be caught and controls to be tightened.

Mandatory landing for bycatch should be controlled

There is a problem with bycatch, for example: fishermen often do not only have what they actually want to catch in their nets. To ensure that the bycatch is limited and not thrown back into the sea in large numbers, dead or seriously injured, it often has to be brought ashore. The so-called landing obligation should be better controlled by the new rules. Because whether fishermen stick to it has so far been difficult to monitor on the open sea.

Specifically, according to the new rules, ships that are longer than 18 meters and that are at risk of not complying with the landing obligation can in future be checked by video surveillance. In the future, all ships will be monitored via a satellite-supported system. This means that authorities should receive regular data on the location, course and speed of ships. There is a transitional period for smaller vessels. The catch must be recorded electronically. The new rules still have to be formally approved by Parliament and EU countries.

The environmental organization WWF sees light and shade in the new rules. “It will become more difficult in the future to throw caught fish overboard with impunity,” said WWF fisheries expert Stella Nemecky. It remains to be seen in practice whether the new requirements are implemented strictly enough. Adequate implementation is often lacking. (dpa)