Brussels, 16 January 2018: – Responding to news that MEPs voted 402 to 232 for a prohibition on electric pulse fishing in European waters as part of Technical Measures Regulation, Our Fish Programme Director Rebecca Hubbard said:
“Today’s vote by the European Parliament to stop the aggressive expansion of electric pulse fishing is a huge win for European seas, low impact fishers and the public. It also shows that new fishing methods must be studied on the basis of independent science before they can be pushed out for commercial use. Instead of developing another industrial fishery with high exploitation capacity, EU governments must get back to the urgent job of ending overfishing, and delivering truly sustainable fisheries management that benefits our marine ecosystems and coastal fishing communities.”
Notes:
French-based NGO BLOOM has led the campaign to end electric pulse fishing in Europe, with 18 NGOs and fishing groups. For more information see http://www.bloomassociation.org/en/media/blooms-press-releases/
European Parliament press release: New fisheries rules: add a ban on electric pulse fishing, say MEPs
See also: Electric fishing: new revelations on a European scandal
Contacts
Dave Walsh, Our Fish Communications Advisor, dave@our.fish +34 691826764
Rebecca Hubbard, Our Fish Program Director, rebecca@our.fish +34 657669425
About Our Fish
Our Fish works to ensure European member states implement the Common Fisheries Policy and achieve sustainable fish stocks in European waters.
Our Fish works with organisations and individuals across Europe to deliver a powerful and unwavering message: overfishing must be stopped, and solutions put in place that ensure Europe’s waters are fished sustainably. Our Fish demands that the Common Fisheries Policy be properly enforced, and Europe’s fisheries effectively governed.
Our Fish calls on all EU Member States to set annual fishing limits at sustainable limits based on scientific advice, and to ensure that their fishing fleets prove that they are fishing sustainably, through monitoring and full documentation of their catch.
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