Report: 20 Years of EU Overfishing Proves Need for Blue Ambition in Green Deal

                                 

EU Overfishing 2001-2020- Who's to Blame?

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EU countries have overfished 8.78 million tonnes during the last 20 years

Brussels, 29 April 2020:- The New Economics Foundation and Our Fish campaign today called on the EU and its Member States to include ending overfishing in their climate laws, after a new study found that EU countries have overfished by 8.78 million tonnes during the last 20 years [1]. According to the historical analysis released by the New Economics Foundation (NEF), Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Netherlands and Germany top the “overfishing League” table, by gaining the highest percentage of quotas above scientifically advised levels for sustainable limits over a 20-year period (35%, 24%, 23%, 23% 22% respectively), while the UK, Denmark and Spain have received the most in terms of excess tonnage (1.78M tonnes, 1.48M tonnes and 1.04M tonnes respectively).

“If the EU delivered on its commitment to end overfishing and rebuild damaged fish stocks to sustainable levels, it could create over 20,000 new jobs, provide food for 89 million people, and generate an extra €1.6 billion in annual revenue”, said Griffin Carpenter, Senior Researcher at the New Economics Foundation. “Instead, every year, fisheries ministers have set fishing limits above the best available scientific advice, even going so far as to ignore the EU’s own legal deadline of 2020. To deliver sustainable seas, EU fisheries ministers must end this practice, and respect EU law, by following the scientific advice. ”

The latest analysis, part of the Landing the Blame report by the New Economics Foundation on the agreed annual fishing limits (total allowable catch or TAC) for commercial fish stocks in EU waters, discovered that between 2001 and 2020, on average, six out of ten TACs were set above scientific advice. While the percentage by which TACs were set above advice declined throughout this period (from 39% to 10% in all EU waters), the proportion of TACs set above advice has had a lesser decline, from eight out of ten TACs to five out of ten.

“As the COVID crisis has clearly demonstrated, our systematic destruction of nature is drastically threatening the health of our planet, and the health of people. NEF’s Landing the Blame analysis brings home the stark truth that by overfishing almost nine million tonnes of fish in 20 years, EU fisheries ministers continue to radically undermine the one ecosystem that provides us with the best protection against climate change – the ocean,” said Rebecca Hubbard, Programme Director at Our Fish. “The European Commission and EU leaders must wake up to the seriousness of this situation – the potential for the ocean to shift from friend to foe if we do not ease pressure on it – by enshrining the ending of overfishing and restoration of ocean health in the EU Green Deal, and by prioritising finalising the Biodiversity and Farm to Fork Strategies as a matter of urgency.”

 

Landing the Blame Country Snapshot

For more detailed information, please download the

Landing the Blame Technical Appendix

Denmark

  • From 2001 to 2020 Denmark set 1,480,000 tonnes of quota above scientific advice, meaning that Denmark overfished the second highest amount of any EU Member State, behind the UK.
  • On average, Denmark set quotas 17% above scientific advice, placing Denmark eighth.
  • For Denmark, 27 quotas (out of 54 assessed) were set above scientific advice in 2020. If this quota is used, the 2020 deadline to end overfishing will be missed.
  • Some quotas are consistently set above advice including cod eastern Baltic, cod in the Kattegat and herring in the western Baltic, and shrimp in the North Sea.
  • The Danish fishing fleet is one of the most profitable in the EU with a gross profit margin of 39%.
  • The Danish fishing fleet has the among the highest wages in the EU with an average FTE wage of 76,000 EUR.

“Denmark takes pride in being a green leader but these numbers tell a different story – one of jeopardizing sustainable fisheries and the chance to harness the ocean’s mitigating effects on climate change ”, said Berit Asmussen, Our Fish Denmark Campaign Coordinator. “Denmark must immediately start following scientific advice for all stocks, so that it can meet the 2020 deadline for ending overfishing”.

 

France

  • From 2001 to 2020 quotas were set 771,000 tonnes of quota above scientific advice in France’s Favour, placing France fifth in terms of tonnage.
  • On average, France set quotas 20% above scientific advice, placing France seventh.
  • For France, 44 quotas (out of 93 assessed) were set above scientific advice in 2020. If this quota is used, the 2020 deadline to end overfishing will be missed.
  • France is involved in more quota decisions than any other Member State.
  • Some quotas are consistently set above advice including pollack in the Celtic Sea, whiting and pollack in the Bay of Biscay, and hake in the Cantabrian Sea.
  • For the past several years the quota for hake in the Celtic Sea, which France is the biggest recipient of, has followed scientific advice and biomass and catches have grown.
  • The French fishing fleet has the among the highest wages in the EU with an average FTE wage of 76,000 EUR.

 

Germany

  • On average, Germany received quotas 22% above scientific advice, placing Germany fifth on the ‘Overfishing League Table’.
  • From 2001 to 2020 Germany set 592,000 tonnes of quota above scientific advice, placing Germany seventh in tonnes.
  • For Germany, 33 quotas (out of 69 assessed) were set above scientific advice in 2020. If this quota is used, the 2020 deadline to end overfishing will be missed.
  • Some quotas are consistently set above advice including cod in the eastern Baltic, cod in the Kattegat and herring in the western Baltic.
  • For the Baltic Sea Germany has topped the ‘Overfishing League Table’ in 2018, 2019, and 2020 due to cod quotas.

“Due to the continued overfishing of cod and herring in the Baltic Sea, Germany has been the European champion in overfishing the Baltic Sea since 2018”, said Sascha Müller-Kraenner, Executive Director of Environmental Action Germany (Deutsche Umwelthilfe – DUH). “Germany has failed to end overfishing and fishermen and ecosystems are now suffering from the consequences. During the German EU Council Presidency, Julia Klöckner must absolutely ensure that the Common Fisheries Policy is adhered to and that fishing quotas are no longer set above scientific advice.”

 

 

Ireland

  • On average, quotas were set 24% above scientific advice in Ireland’s favour, placing Ireland second on the ‘Overfishing League Table’ behind Spain.
  • From 2001 to 2020 Ireland set 765,000 tonnes of quota above scientific advice, placing Ireland sixth in tonnes.
  • For Ireland, 28 quotas (out of 53 assessed) were set above scientific advice for 2020. If this quota is used, the 2020 deadline to end overfishing will be missed.
  • Some quotas are consistently set above advice including pollack in the Celtic Sea, herring to the west of Scotland and Ireland.
  • The Irish fishing industry and government work in close coordination, with Minister Creed expliciting citing an industry representative as shaping his behaviour.

“This is shocking evidence of the sustained and sought after overexploitation of an incredibly valuable natural resource. This is not protecting coastal communities, it is engineered biodiversity loss, putting livelihoods and planetary health at risk. As Irish political parties negotiate a new government, this report should serve as evidence of the causes of the biodiversity and climate emergency, and exemplify how responsible fisheries management could restore the marine environment and the communities who rely on it”, said Mike Walker, advisor to Our Fish.

 

Netherlands

  • On average, the Netherlands set quotas 23% above scientific advice, placing the Netherlands fourth.
  • From 2001 to 2020 the Netherlands received 847,000 tonnes of quota above scientific advice, placing the Netherlands fourth.
  • For the Netherlands, 23 quotas (out of 55 assessed) were set above scientific advice in 2020. If this quota is used, the 2020 deadline to end overfishing will be missed.
  • Some quotas are consistently set above advice sole and plaice in the Celtic Sea, shrimp in the North Sea, and herring to the west of Scotland and Ireland.
  • The Dutch fishing industry has heavily lobbied the EU Council for higher quotas, even accessing the closed-door Council negotiations using press passes.
  • The Dutch fishing fleet has the second highest wages in the EU with an average FTE wage of 78,000 EUR.

 

Portugal

  • On average, Portugal received quotas 23% above scientific advice, placing Portugal third on the ‘Overfishing League Table’ behind Spain and Ireland.
  • From 2001 to 2020 Portugal set 212,000 tonnes of quota above scientific advice.
  • For Portugal, 9 quotas (out of 24 assessed) were set above scientific advice in 2020. If this quota is used, the 2020 deadline to end overfishing will be missed.
  • Some quotas are consistently set above advice including hake, sole and plaice in theCantabrian Sea and Atlantic Iberian waters.
  • For the past several years the quota for southern horse mackerel, which Portugal is the biggest recipient of, has followed scientific advice and biomass and catches have grown.

“Portugal must leave behind its past as a big, long-distance fishing nation, and focus on the sustainability of the fisheries and marine resources close to its own shores”, said Goncalo Carvalho, Executive Coordinator of Sciaena. “Fishing in line with – or even below – the scientific advice is not only the safest way to ensure a sustainable fishing sector, but also one of the best and most direct ways to increase the resilience of its marine ecosystems and contribute to countering climate change.”

 

Spain

  • On average, Spain received quotas 35% above scientific advice, placing Spain first on the ‘Overfishing League Table’.
  • From 2001 to 2020 Spain set 1,040,000 tonnes of quota above scientific advice, placing Spain third.
  • For Spain, 23 quotas (out of 49 assessed) were set above scientific advice in 2020. If this quota is used, the 2020 deadline to end overfishing will be missed.
  • Some quotas are consistently set above advice including pollack in the Celtic Sea, whiting and pollack in the Bay of Biscay, and hake in the Cantabrian Sea.
  • The Spanish fishing industry has heavily lobbied the EU Council for higher quotas, even accessing the closed-door Council negotiations using press passes.

Based on these discoveries, Lydia Chaparro, marine ecologist at the ENT Foundation, states that “due to the current challenges faced by industry, it’s more important than ever to preserve the viability of their business by securing sustainable fisheries. For this reason, we ask the EU – and the Spanish Government – to significantly increase their efforts to end overfishing. In practice, this implies that, by 2021, all fishing opportunities, including those for deep-sea species, must be established according to the sustainable levels scientifically advised. ” Chaparro adds that “given the delicate situation generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government must establish measures to favour the part of the fleet that provides the greatest social benefit and generates the least environmental impact, thus favouring the transition to a sustainable and low impact fishing sector”.

 

 

Sweden

  • From 2001 to 2020 Sweden received 552,000 tonnes of quota above scientific advice, placing Sweden eighth.
  • On average, Sweden set quotas 16% above scientific advice, placing Sweden ninth.
  • For Sweden, 21 quotas (out of 24 assessed) were set above scientific advice in 2020. If this quota is used, the 2020 deadline to end overfishing will be missed.
  • Some quotas are consistently set above advice including cod eastern Baltic, cod in the Kattegat and herring in the western Baltic.
  • While Sweden has often spoken in support of the European Commission’s quota recommendations, for some species this has meant advocating quotas above scientific advice.
  • The Swedish fishing fleet is one of the most profitable in the EU with a gross profit margin of 33%.

 

UK

  • From 2001 to 2020 the UK received 1,759,000 tonnes of quota above scientific advice, meaning the UK overfished more than any other EU Member State.
  • On average, the UK set quotas 21% above scientific advice, placing the UK sixth.
  • For the UK, 38 quotas (out of 80 assessed) were set above scientific advice in 2020. If this quota is used, the 2020 deadline to end overfishing will be missed.
  • Some quotas are consistently set above advice including cod and whiting in the Irish Sea, herring, cod and whiting in the west of Scotland, ling in the North Sea, and pollack in the Celtic Sea.
  • For the past several years the quota for sole in the western English Channel, which the UK is the biggest recipient of, has followed scientific advice and biomass and catches have grown.
  • In recent years high value fisheries including mackerel and North Sea cod have gained MSC ecolabel certification only to lose it as quotas were set too high.
  • The UK fishing fleet is one of the most profitable in the EU with a net profit margin of 26%.

“The UK fishing industry has benefitted massively from overfishing whilst it was part of the EU for the last twenty years. The UK Government must now demonstrate that it is committed to ending the destructive overfishing that is undermining both the ocean’s capacity to mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis, and that of their local industry. This means making, and sticking to, regional agreements that respect fish populations’ limits, not short-term politics,” said Rebecca Hubbard, Our Fish Program Director.

 

Contact:

Dave Walsh, Our Fish Communications Advisor, +34 691 826 764, dave@our.fish

Griffin Carpenter, New Economics Foundation, +44 759 211 7776, griffin.carpenter@neweconomics.org

 

Notes:

[1] Landing the Blame: Overfishing in the Northeast Atlantic 2020:

https://neweconomics.org/2020/03/landing-the-blame-overfishing-in-the-northeast-atlantic-2020

https://neweconomics.org/uploads/files/LtB_NE_Atlantic_2020.pdf

For detailed information, please download the Landing the Blame Technical Appendix

The NEF analysis ranks EU Member States on the proportion of their quota that was set above scientific advice, rather than overall tonnage, on the basis that for two decades, EU member states have apparently asked for – and subsequently received – quotas, and thus access, above the scientific advice provided by ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea).

The reformed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which entered into force in 2014, aims to restore and maintain populations of fish stocks above levels capable of supporting Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) (https://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/cfp_en). The corresponding exploitation rate was to be achieved by 2015 where possible and by 2020 at the latest for all stocks.

Supporting documents:

EU Farm to Fork Strategy – Our Fish submission

https://our.fish/publications/farm-to-fork-strategy-our-fish-submission/

 

About Our Fish

Our Fish is working to end overfishing and restore a healthy ocean ecosystem. By collaborating with others, and deploying robust evidence, we are calling for an end to overfishing as a critical and significant action to address the biodiversity and climate crisis

Website: https://our.fish

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