The Council of the European Union formally adopted the new regulation on technical fishing measures on Thursday 13 June.
As expected, the Netherlands voted against the legislative act (which will soon be published in the Official Journal of the EU), on the grounds that the provisions ban electric fish trawling from 1 July 2021 (see EUROPE 12235/5).
The new rules will increase the selectivity of fishing gear and indicators will be introduced to help reduce unwanted catches of marine species below the minimum reference sizes and by-catches of non-commercial and sensitive marine species (whales, dolphins, seabirds).
Spearfishing. In a statement, Denmark regrets that, with regard to the issue of spearfishing, the new regulation on technical measures does not follow a proportionate approach. It provides for a general ban on fishing with handheld spears and spear guns in all EU waters. “Underwater hunting with handheld spears and spear guns is a popular hobby for some recreational fishermen. It is furthermore a hobby that poses no biological threat to the marine species of the North Sea and Baltic Sea”, notes the country. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)