The European Parliament reached a ‘compromise’ on restrictions on fishing in marine protected areas by adopting, on Tuesday 3 May in Strasbourg (494 votes in favour, 66 against and 66 abstentions), an own-initiative report by Isabel Carvalhais (S&D, Portugal) on a sustainable blue economy.
The European Parliament endorsed (319 votes in favour, 280 against and 35 abstentions) an amendment suggested, in particular, by the Renew Europe group, which calls on the EU to ban the use of harmful techniques in its strictly protected marine areas, based on the best available scientific advice. There is no mention of bottom trawling, a technique heavily criticised by NGOs.
Pascal Canfin (Renew Europe, France), Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, finally gave up tabling an oral amendment stating that the objective is indeed to ban trawling in marine protected areas, but starting with the most at-risk territories on the basis of an objective scientific analysis and accompanying the fishermen where necessary.
“This amendment has faced double opposition, from the industrial fishing lobby and from environmentalists”, explained Mr Canfin.
The Parliament adopted an amendment suggested by the Greens/EFA group calling on the EU to “urgently address the adverse effects” of bottom set gear, drift nets and seines on the climate and ecosystems.
The EU is also asked by the European Parliament to fund scientific research programmes to map carbon-rich marine habitats in the Union, “which will serve as a basis for defining these sites as strictly protected marine areas”.
Finally, by adopting another amendment from the Greens/EFA group, MEPs call on the EU to “ban environmentally damaging industrial extractive activities”, such as mining and fossil fuel extraction in marine protected areas. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)