According to WWF, certain European Countries with large fishing industries are using bullying tactics to push members of the European Parliament into accepting a deal that will allow overfishing to continue until 2020.
The organisation says that threats by some fisheries ministers to walk out of negotiations and abandon the whole Common Fisheries Policy reform are a “slap in the face” of the widespread public support for an ambitious deal which spurred an overwhelming majority of over 500 MEPs in favour of strong reform earlier this year.
“MEPs like Ulrike Rodust have admirably defended their parliamentary mandate in negotiations over recent weeks, and have strongly resisted pressure from Fisheries and Agriculture council to throw in the towel and reach a quick but weak compromise. The council’s attitude of non-negotiation goes completely against the spirit of co-decision with parliament and is completely unacceptable.” Roberto Ferrigno, WWF’s Common Fisheries Policy reform coordinator
The organisation wants fisheries ministers and the European Parliament to agree on the fastest full recovery targets for fishery stocks. It says that they have it within their powers to ensure that discards, fishing subsidies and stock management are addressed immediately and effectively so that within 10 years the situation where almost two out of three assessed stocks are at crisis level can be reversed.
