Author: dave

Ministers ‘ignoring scientific evidence’ and haggling over fishing quotas ‘like kids trading football cards’, say campaigners

Campaigners have described the levels as “very modest progress”, and said the council was delaying stock recovery and “risking even more painful quota cuts next year”.

“This should have been the year in which fishing quotas finally followed scientific advice, and EU fisheries ministers made history by ending overfishing in EU waters” said Rebecca Hubbard, program director for conservation group Our Fish.

“Instead, we saw another absurd all-night meeting behind closed doors, where ministers haggled over fishing quotas like kids trading football cards. By choosing to set fishing limits above scientific advice for many stocks, they have ignored European citizens and all of the evidence that shows ending overfishing will deliver healthy fish stocks, more jobs and security for coastal communities.”

Harry Cockburn, Independent.co.uk, 19/12/2018: New European fishing quotas ‘disregard science and law’, environmental lawyers say

Undercurrent: EU agrees 2019 quotas as Brexit, landing obligation loom on horizon

“This should have been the year in which fishing quotas finally followed scientific advice, and EU fisheries ministers made history by ending overfishing in EU waters. Instead, we saw another absurd all-night meeting behind closed doors, where ministers haggled over fishing quotas like kids trading football cards. By choosing to set fishing limits above scientific advice for many stocks, they have ignored European citizens and all of the evidence that shows ending overfishing will deliver healthy fish stocks, more jobs and security for coastal communities”, said Rebecca Hubbard, program director for Our Fish.

“Along with global biodiversity loss and climate change, overfishing is having a devastating effect on the ocean. EU fisheries ministers could have simply and immediately alleviated that threat by following scientific advice, yet they keep trying to negotiate the limits of nature. It’s time they faced reality, by acknowledging the destruction decades of overfishing has caused, and act on the responsibility invested in them by European citizens, who expected them to deliver a historic end to EU overfishing,” she said.

Undercurrent: EU agrees 2019 quotas as Brexit, landing obligation loom on horizon

“This should have been the year in which fishing quotas finally followed scientific advice, and EU fisheries ministers made history by ending overfishing in EU waters. Instead, we saw another absurd all-night meeting behind closed doors, where ministers haggled over fishing quotas like kids trading football cards. By choosing to set fishing limits above scientific advice for many stocks, they have ignored European citizens and all of the evidence that shows ending overfishing will deliver healthy fish stocks, more jobs and security for coastal communities”, said Rebecca Hubbard, program director for Our Fish.

“Along with global biodiversity loss and climate change, overfishing is having a devastating effect on the ocean. EU fisheries ministers could have simply and immediately alleviated that threat by following scientific advice, yet they keep trying to negotiate the limits of nature. It’s time they faced reality, by acknowledging the destruction decades of overfishing has caused, and act on the responsibility invested in them by European citizens, who expected them to deliver a historic end to EU overfishing,” she said.

Undercurrent: EU agrees 2019 quotas as Brexit, landing obligation loom on horizon

“This should have been the year in which fishing quotas finally followed scientific advice, and EU fisheries ministers made history by ending overfishing in EU waters. Instead, we saw another absurd all-night meeting behind closed doors, where ministers haggled over fishing quotas like kids trading football cards. By choosing to set fishing limits above scientific advice for many stocks, they have ignored European citizens and all of the evidence that shows ending overfishing will deliver healthy fish stocks, more jobs and security for coastal communities”, said Rebecca Hubbard, program director for Our Fish.

“Along with global biodiversity loss and climate change, overfishing is having a devastating effect on the ocean. EU fisheries ministers could have simply and immediately alleviated that threat by following scientific advice, yet they keep trying to negotiate the limits of nature. It’s time they faced reality, by acknowledging the destruction decades of overfishing has caused, and act on the responsibility invested in them by European citizens, who expected them to deliver a historic end to EU overfishing,” she said.

Quota disputes among member states mean that long-awaited reforms are still floundering

Fiona Harvey, The Guardian, 19 December 2018: Why the battle to fix Europe’s fisheries policy isn’t over yet 

Overfishing in EU waters, and the wasteful practice of discarding edible fish at sea, should come to an end from next year, as reforms to the common fisheries policy (CFP) are implemented after seven years of wrangling.

But disputes among member states over rights to dwindling fish stocks mean that key aspects of the plans to improve management of European fisheries are floundering.

From January, the landing obligation should mean that all fish netted are brought to shore instead of thrown away if they exceed a vessel’s quota. By 2020, all stocks should be subject to quotas based on scientific judgments of the maximum sustainable yield, not annual horse-trading among politicians.

…

There are solutions, such as more selective fishing gear and better technology, but the problem could also be solved by swapping quotas among member state or allowing the reallocation of a quotas among vessels within a member state. Yet ministers have been reluctant to explore these.

Rebecca Hubbard of the group Our Fish told the Guardian: “Ministers have been procrastinating and seeking exemptions, including avoiding effective monitoring and control, so unless they are willing to take tough decisions, widespread discarding is likely to continue. This would not only be a waste of a valuable public resource, but a waste of the public’s trust in decision-makers to deliver on the commitments they made in 2013. Ministers could put this right, by setting sustainable limits for all stocks and require electronic monitoring in fleets with a higher risk of discards – it’s worked in north America and Australia, so why not in the EU?”

Continue reading: Why the battle to fix Europe’s fisheries policy isn’t over yet 

Quota disputes among member states mean that long-awaited reforms are still floundering

Fiona Harvey, The Guardian, 19 December 2018: Why the battle to fix Europe’s fisheries policy isn’t over yet 

Overfishing in EU waters, and the wasteful practice of discarding edible fish at sea, should come to an end from next year, as reforms to the common fisheries policy (CFP) are implemented after seven years of wrangling.

But disputes among member states over rights to dwindling fish stocks mean that key aspects of the plans to improve management of European fisheries are floundering.

From January, the landing obligation should mean that all fish netted are brought to shore instead of thrown away if they exceed a vessel’s quota. By 2020, all stocks should be subject to quotas based on scientific judgments of the maximum sustainable yield, not annual horse-trading among politicians.

…

There are solutions, such as more selective fishing gear and better technology, but the problem could also be solved by swapping quotas among member state or allowing the reallocation of a quotas among vessels within a member state. Yet ministers have been reluctant to explore these.

Rebecca Hubbard of the group Our Fish told the Guardian: “Ministers have been procrastinating and seeking exemptions, including avoiding effective monitoring and control, so unless they are willing to take tough decisions, widespread discarding is likely to continue. This would not only be a waste of a valuable public resource, but a waste of the public’s trust in decision-makers to deliver on the commitments they made in 2013. Ministers could put this right, by setting sustainable limits for all stocks and require electronic monitoring in fleets with a higher risk of discards – it’s worked in north America and Australia, so why not in the EU?”

Continue reading: Why the battle to fix Europe’s fisheries policy isn’t over yet 

Quota disputes among member states mean that long-awaited reforms are still floundering

Fiona Harvey, The Guardian, 19 December 2018: Why the battle to fix Europe’s fisheries policy isn’t over yet 

Overfishing in EU waters, and the wasteful practice of discarding edible fish at sea, should come to an end from next year, as reforms to the common fisheries policy (CFP) are implemented after seven years of wrangling.

But disputes among member states over rights to dwindling fish stocks mean that key aspects of the plans to improve management of European fisheries are floundering.

From January, the landing obligation should mean that all fish netted are brought to shore instead of thrown away if they exceed a vessel’s quota. By 2020, all stocks should be subject to quotas based on scientific judgments of the maximum sustainable yield, not annual horse-trading among politicians.

…

There are solutions, such as more selective fishing gear and better technology, but the problem could also be solved by swapping quotas among member state or allowing the reallocation of a quotas among vessels within a member state. Yet ministers have been reluctant to explore these.

Rebecca Hubbard of the group Our Fish told the Guardian: “Ministers have been procrastinating and seeking exemptions, including avoiding effective monitoring and control, so unless they are willing to take tough decisions, widespread discarding is likely to continue. This would not only be a waste of a valuable public resource, but a waste of the public’s trust in decision-makers to deliver on the commitments they made in 2013. Ministers could put this right, by setting sustainable limits for all stocks and require electronic monitoring in fleets with a higher risk of discards – it’s worked in north America and Australia, so why not in the EU?”

Continue reading: Why the battle to fix Europe’s fisheries policy isn’t over yet 

Quota disputes among member states mean that long-awaited reforms are still floundering

Fiona Harvey, The Guardian, 19 December 2018: Why the battle to fix Europe’s fisheries policy isn’t over yet 

Overfishing in EU waters, and the wasteful practice of discarding edible fish at sea, should come to an end from next year, as reforms to the common fisheries policy (CFP) are implemented after seven years of wrangling.

But disputes among member states over rights to dwindling fish stocks mean that key aspects of the plans to improve management of European fisheries are floundering.

From January, the landing obligation should mean that all fish netted are brought to shore instead of thrown away if they exceed a vessel’s quota. By 2020, all stocks should be subject to quotas based on scientific judgments of the maximum sustainable yield, not annual horse-trading among politicians.

…

There are solutions, such as more selective fishing gear and better technology, but the problem could also be solved by swapping quotas among member state or allowing the reallocation of a quotas among vessels within a member state. Yet ministers have been reluctant to explore these.

Rebecca Hubbard of the group Our Fish told the Guardian: “Ministers have been procrastinating and seeking exemptions, including avoiding effective monitoring and control, so unless they are willing to take tough decisions, widespread discarding is likely to continue. This would not only be a waste of a valuable public resource, but a waste of the public’s trust in decision-makers to deliver on the commitments they made in 2013. Ministers could put this right, by setting sustainable limits for all stocks and require electronic monitoring in fleets with a higher risk of discards – it’s worked in north America and Australia, so why not in the EU?”

Continue reading: Why the battle to fix Europe’s fisheries policy isn’t over yet 

Our Fish Program Director Rebecca Hubbard interviewed on Morning Europe, Euronews, by Méabh McMahon on outcomes of December AGRIFISH Council Meeting in Brussels, and the continued EU overfishing.

Read press release: EU fisheries ministers fail to make history by agreeing to continue overfishing