Today EU fisheries ministers will gather in Luxembourg to come to a political agreement on the Commission’s proposal for a system of mandatory transferable fishing rights (concessions).
While a number of ministers have been quick to dismiss the Commission’s proposed transferable fishing concessions, they have been slow to suggest an alternative that will deliver sustainable European fisheries. At the same time, 158 diverse groups, ranging from fishermen to environmentalists, from 17 EU member states, recently signed a declaration proposing a system of providing incentives for more sustainable fishing.
“The new CFP must stop overfishing and reward those who fish in more environmentally and socially responsible ways with preferential access to fish resources,” said Markus Knigge, spokesperson for OCEAN2012, a coalition of over 160 organisations dedicated to ending overfishing in the EU. “The Commission has overlooked the importance of binding the social fabric of coastal communities with a healthy marine environment by awarding those who fish more sustainably with priority access to fish.”
The declaration, signed by NGOs and fishing organisations, calls on the CFP reform to:
- Provide priority access to fish resources for those who fish in the most environmentally and socially sustainable way
- Not impose Transferable Fishing Concessions on member states but instead provide a range of tools for the management of access to fishing opportunities
- Include concrete timelines for the development and adoption of multi-annual plans
