Euronews: EU must end overfishing to protect our oceans, say scientists

                                 

EU must end overfishing to protect our oceans, say scientistsEuronews Living, 10 September 2020: Euronews: EU must end overfishing to protect our oceans, say scientists

A statement has been signed by more than 300 scientists calling for the EU to end overfishing to protect the health of our oceans.

The message, delivered to EU Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius earlier this week, said that limits on fishing must be imposed “as an urgent and necessary response to the biodiversity and climate crises”.

Fishing is one of the most significant contributors to declines in populations of ocean wildlife. It isn’t catching fish itself that is bad for the ocean, but when they are caught at a rate that means they can’t replenish – it becomes a problem.

“Overfishing means taking more fish out of the water than can grow back. To be honest, that’s pretty stupid,” said one of the signatories, Dr Rainer Fröse from the Helmholtz centre for ocean research in Kiel, Germany.

“The science is clear – now the EU must ensure that a healthy ocean is central to its response to the nature and climate crisis – and that means finally putting an end to overfishing,” said Rebecca Hubbard, Programme Director of Our Fish.

“Just like with our own health, if we continue to batter the ocean with overfishing, the whole system will weaken further, until it can no longer provide us with the life-support we need it for – oxygen, climate regulation, food and jobs.”