In this week’s European Parliament plenary, several votes that will shape the future of fisheries management took place. The first reading of the Common Market Organisation (CMO) has been completed and voted through by the Parliament, along with the overarching communication of the Common Fisheries Policy.
Significant changes concerning consumer information have been put forward by the Parliament, within the CMO. Mandatory information on labels should now show both where and how the fish has been caught, including the gear type used. Moreover, the date landed will also be included along with information on what stock the product is from. These changes will enable consumers to be more discerning with their choices.
Under the overarching communication however, the Parliament rejected proposals by the Commission and the ENVI committee to rebuild fish stocks above their maximum sustainable yield, by a narrow margin of five votes. Amendment two, introduced by over 70 members of the centre-right EPP group, the largest in the Parliament, sought to water down ambitions to increase fish populations in the medium-term.
The proposed amendment changed the text, replacing “above” with “at levels close to” MSY. Such a change would however fail to guarantee a revival of European fish stocks, which have long been blighted by overfishing and mismanagement. Increasing stocks to above their MSY level would enable populations to grow and help to safeguard the future of the fishing industry. Much responsibility has been placed in the hands of the European Parliament since the Lisbon Treaty, yet optimism in their ability to secure a sustainable CFP reform is perhaps misplaced. However, it is the November plenary that will be crucial in determining the direction of European fisheries policy for the coming decade.