Four non-governmental organisations – Pew, ClientEarth, Seas at Risk and Oceana – have warned of the threat posed to fish stocks by overfishing, ahead of the meeting of EU fisheries ministers at which they will try to reach agreement, late in the night of 12-13 December, on fishing opportunities in the Atlantic in 2018 (see EUROPE 11920).
The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) says that all stocks should be fished at levels that make it possible to deliver maximum sustainable yield (MSY) by 2020 (by way of derogation as the initial deadline was 2015). However, the NGOs underline, the European Commission proposal on total allowable catches (TACs) for 2018 is not sufficient for the 2020 objective to be reached and the negotiations among the member states could very well weaken it further.
According to a study for the NGO Pew in 2017, 55% of the catch limits set by the member states were above the levels recommended by scientific advice. Nonetheless, things are improving since, 2013 when 62% of stocks were overfished. The improvement is not fast enough, however, to achieve the goal set in the CFP.
In closer detail, catches are 40% above scientific advice in the Baltic Sea, 48% in the North Sea, 59% in the north-west Atlantic and 57% in south-west Atlantic. Lastly, the figure for deep water species – the quotas for which are discussed every two years in the month of November (see EUROPE 11668) – is as high as 73%. “If this trend continues, by 2020 50% of stocks will still be overfished”, warned Andrew Clayton of Pew.
Looking at the member states, the NGOs say that Spain is the worst offender when it comes to overfishing (38%), followed by Portugal (34%), the Netherlands (27%), Ireland (25%) and Germany (22%).
“The problem is that nothing is being done to put a medium-term plan in place that would make it possible to see the stocks on which action has to be taken first and how to avoid negative socio-economic impacts”, regretted Bjorn Stockhaussen of Seas at Risk.
Yet, a study published recently by Oceana showed that it would be possible to increase catches by 57% within 10 years if fish stocks were managed sustainably. The sector’s turnover would increase by €2.4 billion and 92,000 direct and indirect jobs would be created. “Overfishing is not only illegal (from the point of view of EU law), it’s also stupid economically”, said Lasse Gustavsson of Oceana.
Such a change would require strong measures: - drastic reductions in catches in the first few years because, at present, only 7% all stocks are judged to be healthy; - setting up protection zones; - a ban on the most destructive fishing methods; - ending illegal fishing. These are all measures which the member states have, until now, refused to put in place. (Original version in French)