Virginijus Sinkevičius, the European Commissioner-designate for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, believes that the EU still has a long way to go in the fight against illegal fishing and in the sustainable management of fish stocks.
During his hearing before the MEPs of the relevant committees on Thursday 3 October, Lithuanian Virginijus Sinkevičius will explain that "the full implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy will be a priority objective" during his term of office. "We must achieve the objective of maximum sustainable performance to keep our planet healthy, but also to ensure the development of our coastal communities", reads his answers to written questions from MEPs. In principle, 2020 is the first year in which stocks must be managed according to the MSY principle. And where sustainable fisheries will not yet be in place next year, it will be necessary to "redouble our efforts" to achieve this and support fishermen in this process, says Mr Sinkevičius. This is particularly important in the Mediterranean, where 87% of stocks are overexploited, he details.
Reform of the CFP. When evaluating the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), scheduled for the end of 2022, he will carefully examine "whether the policy is still suitable for the current situation", and assess new challenges, such as climate change and socio-economic development.
Virginijus Sinkevičius also intends to gather the views of all stakeholders on the evaluation of the CFP, especially during his visits to EU Member States. The European Parliament Fisheries Committee and all other committees affected by this policy will be privileged partners in the evaluation of the CFP, he promised.
The Commissioner-designate is counting on the support of the European Parliament to strengthen the Community system for monitoring fishing activities. The Commission has made a proposal to this effect, which is still being examined by the European Parliament and the EU Council.
He will also continue to apply a 'zero tolerance' policy towards illegal fishing.
Environmental transition. Virginijus Sinkevičius also promises that The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) will contribute to the financing of marine waste collection, including (abandoned) fishing gear, and will help the fishing sector to become more involved in these initiatives. He wants fishermen to play a key role in the environmental transition.
Link to the answers to the questions: https://bit.ly/2lHg26X (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)