During a working lunch on Monday 21 February in Brussels, the EU Fisheries Ministers will informally discuss one of the important issues of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), namely the scientific evaluation of fish stocks.
The French Minister for the Sea, Annick Girardin, who will chair this discussion, had already made this announcement recently before MEPs sitting on the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries (see EUROPE 12883/4).
The French minister had defended before MEPs the objective of achieving a more productive sea by changing the paradigm, in particular through fisheries management that better integrates the ecological dimension of ecosystems.
Rising greenhouse gas emissions and the warming of ocean waters are causing changes in the spatial distribution of some species, such as cod.
Analysis of the effects of climate change is recognised as an essential element in the management of fisheries activities, but the scientific knowledge needed to take this into account remains insufficient.
The European Commission must adopt a report by the end of 2022 evaluating the functioning of the CFP.
France will also organise debates in the EU Council on the Commission’s future action plan for the conservation of fisheries resources and the protection of marine ecosystems. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)