The European Commission announced yesterday that they want to prohibit the use of any kind of driftnets for fishing in all EU waters as of 1 January 2015.
In their press release the Commission says that rules are already in place forbidding the use of driftnets to catch certain migratory fishes, nonetheless the practice continues to be a cause of concern due to the incidental catching of marine mammals, sea turtles and sea birds which are mostly protected under EU legislation. The Commission therefore as a way to prevent circumventing the already existing rules, propose a full ban of driftnets fishing in the EU as well as the prohibition of keeping driftnets on board of fishing vessels. Additionally, to avoid ambiguity, the proposal refines the current definition of a driftnet.
The measure is aimed at eliminating alleged loopholes that allow illegal fishing with driftnets to continue. There is however a concern within the NGO community that the measures proposed by the European Commission could penalise sustainable artisanal fishing boats and once again open the potential for massive subsidies fraud rather than targeting the few vessels that have continued illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing activities and that should have been officially blacklisted years ago.
Driftnets a gear used to target pelagic species
Driftnets are a type of fishing gear used to target various pelagic species. During the 1980s and the early 1990s, this type of net became popular because it is effective and easy to use. Driftnets were highly damaging to the marine environment, because they resulted in the by-catch of thousands of cetaceans and other endangered species.
After the EU prohibited these nets in 2002, some countries, such as France and Italy, continued using them. Italy has been the last country in Europe still using this illegal gear, which has been often camouflaged under the legal name of โferrettaraโ. ย The use of driftnets and the keeping on board of any kind of driftnets has been fully banned in the Baltic Sea since 1 January 2008.