The agreement reached by European fisheries ministers on catch limits for 2024 on Tuesday 12 December has disappointed NGOs (see EUROPE 13312/6).
While Oceana welcomed “an improvement in the number of catch limits in line with scientific advice ”, it deplored the fact that “13%” were still above the recommended sustainable limits.
“It is disappointing to see the green light given to reckless overfishing of sensitive species like cod in the Kattegat and the critically endangered eel”, continues Oceana.
The ministers have set “illegal quotas” given the EU’s obligations to curb overfishing, laments the NGO ClientEarth, which believes that the Council has not yet taken into account the negative impact of a collapse in stocks on the health of the oceans and the very future of fishing.
In March 2023, the Advocate General of the EU Court of Justice supported the demands of environmental groups, recommending that governments should henceforth set all fishery limits at sustainable levels. A ruling by the EU Court of Justice on this point is expected on 11 January 2024.
For Seas At Risk, “once again, fisheries ministers have failed to comply with their legal obligation to manage fisheries sustainably”. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)