The European Parliament today voted in favour of a report on the conservation of fishery resources and protection of marine ecosystems. [1] While Green MEPs backed the successful attempt to include a ban on pulse fishing, the Greens voted against the report, which fails to establish common objectives at an EU level.

Jean Lambert, London’s Green MEP, said:

“I welcome the European Parliament’s vote to ban electric pulse fishing in EU waters. This technique is both barbaric and unsustainable, and I’m proud that MEPs have taken a stand.

However, it’s bitterly disappointing that we couldn’t go further today. Despite the efforts of Green MEPs, the Parliament rejected some key measures that would protect our precious marine ecosystems and save the lives of thousands of dolphins and porpoises each year.

We ask the Commission to withdraw their proposal so that clear common goals can be established before the regional groups start their cooperation. A failure to do so would put the future of our fisheries and our oceans at risk.”

Notes:

[1] http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+TA+P8-TA-2018-0003+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=EN

Read the Greens/EFA statement on the vote here.

The post Fisheries vote puts the future of our oceans at risk, says Green MEP appeared first on Jean Lambert MEP.

Under current EU rules, fishing fleets are forbidden from landing more than their catch quota. Often, the only option is for the unwanted fish to be thrown back into the sea. The EU estimates that around half of the fish caught by fishermen in the North Sea are unnecessarily thrown back into the ocean, dead, sending stocks plummeting to less than ten per cent of post-war levels.

The proposals, announced by EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki, will see the system of fish discards prohibited but the ban will only apply to a limited number of fish species that are commercially exploited.  Jean and Keith believe that this measure fails to make the necessary improvements in fishing practices which would ensure that unwanted fish are not caught in the first place.

Moves to overhaul the current EU rules gained momentum with the launch of the ‘Fish Fight’ campaign, led by celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, which called upon the European Parliament to reform its fishing policy in order to protect Europe’s fish stocks and improve the system for both fishermen and customers.  The European Parliament will now have 12 months to consult on the proposals before they are made law next year.

Commenting on the proposals, Jean Lambert, Green MEP for London, said: “Out of sight, beneath our seas, we have done huge damage to a natural resource that was once abundant, leaving Europe dependent upon imports for nearly 70 per cent of the fish we eat.  Without abundant fish stocks, there will be no fishing industry or fishing communities – we have to think long term.  Commissioner Damanaki’s plans are a step in the right direction but we need to go further.  It’s not just a matter of stopping overfishing; we must also take steps to restore stocks and put more fish back in the sea.  Our waters are capable of supporting many times more fish than now exist and it is not too late for the situation to be reversed.”

Keith Taylor, Green MEP for South East England said:
“Today’s proposals go only part of the way to reduce the amount of wasted fish which EU fishing policy has created. The EU needs to do better. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s campaign has done a great job of highlighting this nonsensical waste of an increasingly scarce resource. But it is not just the discarding of fish which needs to be addressed. The EU needs to make sure that fishermen are able to fish more selectively so that those species which are declining are protected. Supermarkets and other retailers also need to do their bit to change consumer habits so that people are informed about which species are most at risk and can make better informed choices about which fish to buy.”   

The post Fish discard ban step in right direction but Commission must go further, Green MEPs argue appeared first on Jean Lambert MEP.