In an opinion given on Wednesday 30 May, the International Council for Exploration of the Sea (ICES) considers that electric pulse trawls have less impact on ecosystems than traditional beam trawls. The opinion tends to uphold the considerations of the European Commission, while the European Parliament, on the other hand, has taken a stance against the experimental authorisation in the North Sea of so-called electro-fishing in the European Union (see EUROPE 11940).
The ICES issued its...