Released in late February, the hot-off-the-press report, ‘European Fisheries at a Crossroads’, is an informative introduction to the current state of affairs in European and Polish fisheries. The report is concise, yet provides a lot of detail for those intereseted in fisheries.
The report (in Polish : ‘Europejskie rybołówstwo na rozdrożu’) has been released at a time when the world’s fisheries are in crisis. It is projected that if fisheries are managed ‘business as usual’, in the next 40 to 50 years there may be no more fish to fish out.
There is hope, however. With coherent decisions in the currently ongoing Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) reform process a significant change to fisheries management may still be possible, including the elimination of wasteful and destructive fishing practices. The new CFP should end overfishing, reduce damage to ecosystems and re-build the EU fishing sector so that is environmentally sustainable, and socially as well as economically viable.
In their report, Greenpeace states that an effective reform of the CFP — the process ends in 2013 — is the last chance to restore our decimated fish stocks and the proper functioning of the European fleet. Greenpeace, therefore outlines four key focus areas for an effective CFP reform:
1) Restructure and decrease the capacity of the European fishing fleet, to ensure priority access to fisheries is given to small-scale operations, which have a smaller environmental impact.
2) Increase marine reserve areas by 40%, and under the CFP, provide Member States with resources to identify the most sensitive marine habitats and ensure appropriate control measures of those areas.
3) Eliminate destructive fishing practices, such as bottom trawling.
4) Introduce legally binding scientific advice when setting fishing limits.
For more information on the report, which was released in Polish only, please contact Greenpeace Poland at biuro@greenpeace.pl.