News
March 4, 2013
Commission meets RACs to discuss work changes in the context of reform
At the biannual meeting between the Commission and the RACs on 1 March, the focus was on the changed work load for the RACs in connection with the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy – in particular in regards to a forthcoming discard ban and the multiannual plans.
February 27, 2013
Council unable to agree on a discard ban
Last night, after twenty hours of negotiation, twenty-six Member States signed up to a deal that would reduce discards to 7% across EU waters by 2023. Only Sweden rejected the deal. Swedish minister Eskil Erlandsson commented afterward, “how many exceptions can you have and still call it a ban?”
February 8, 2013
Summary and analysis from the European Parliament plenary vote on the CFP
In a landmark vote in Strasbourg a large majority of MEPs from all parties and Member States supported a number of measures which aim to ensure that the revised Common Fisheries Policy will allow fish stocks to rebuild and recover. This will lay the ground for the coming trialogue negotiations, which will likely conclude in June. A summary of measures the European Parliament plenary voted through can be found at the end of the article.
February 6, 2013
European Parliament Votes to Rebuild Europe’s Dwindling Fish Stocks
For decades, the European Union has failed to prevent overfishing but today, in a historic vote, an overwhelming majority, 502 vs. 137 members of the European Parliament called for the restoration of fish stocks by 2020.
February 6, 2013
Historic vote in European Parliament today
Today, on February 6th 2013 in Strasbourg, all the MEPs will vote on the report on the so called basic regulation – creating the framework for the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). This is the first time that the European Parliament has had the opportunity to co-legislate on EU’s overarching fisheries policy.
January 16, 2013
FISH and Seas at Risk urge Council to follow the European Parliament’s lead on the CFP
In a letter sent to fisheries attachés ahead of their working group meeting, at which they will reflect upon the outcome of December’s vote in the Fisheries Committee, Member States are encouraged to look to the EP who “took a momentous step towards turning the tide on overfishing in Europe”.
January 15, 2013
Be an artist, save a fish!
The “Paint a Fish” campaign is a straightforward concept. It asks members of the public to simply paint fish, but the aspiration behind the project is to engage and educate the younger generations in the protection of fish stocks, while also encouraging decision-makers to do the same as the CFP reform draws to a close.
January 8, 2013
Fishing for Litter to cover entire Swedish coastline
Litter is still one of the main environmental problems that effects marine environments today. Fishing for Litter (FFL) is a project that started in 2005 in Scotland that aims to directly remove garbage from the sea but at the same time raising awareness to stakeholders, the public and the packing industry.
December 20, 2012
EU Fisheries Ministers decide on TACs for 2013
Last night Fisheries Ministers finally reached an agreement on TACs for 2013. Although a compromise agreement was reached which aims at putting the majority of fish stocks at an exploitation rate in line with Maximum Sustainable yield by 2015, TACs for many fish stocks were still set higher than proposed by the Commission, which largely followed scientific advice.
December 19, 2012
Skagerrak discard ban report presented in PECH
When the report on the Skagerrak discard ban was discussed for the first time in the Parliament Fisheries Committee on 17 December, MEPs raised issues in both the report and the Commission’s proposal on possible increases in TACs, control systems and minimum conservation reference sizes.