11/07/2024 (Agence Europe) – A study by the NGO Oceana, published on Thursday 11 July, shows that Spain and France allocate fishing opportunities on the basis of historic catch data, “thus favouring large-scale fleets over artisanal vessels”.
Oceana is asking EU Member States to be more transparent about the criteria used to allocate fishing opportunities to their fleets.These two countries allocate quotas on the basis of historic catches (96% and 70% of the allocation weighting in France and Spain respectively). In doing so, according to the NGO, they often neglect environmental considerations (weighted at only 1% and 10% respectively) and socio-economic considerations (weighted at only 3% and 20% respectively), including the fleet’s contribution to employment and the economy of local communities.
Link to the study on Spain: https://aeur.eu/f/d01
Link to the study on France: https://aeur.eu/f/d02 (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)