According to Oceana European Commission should come with a plan to recover healthy ocean ecosystems and assure the enforcement of existing regulations. It is critical to ensure correct management with the TAC system, support artisanal fishermen and eliminate IUU fishing.
The European Union has invited public comments for a reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) from 2012. Oceana is asking the European Commission to focus the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy on improving the balance and the health of the oceans. Healthy oceans are vital for climate change and also for fish and fishing industry. Xavier Pastor, Executive Director for Oceana in Europe, said that environmental and Fisheries administrations must manage fisheries together.
He added that the oceans are not just the place to find our exploitable marine resources, but they also fulfill other roles. As such, the new Common Fisheries Policy must go from being based on an industry of fishing as much as possible, to being an integrated policy that takes other environmental issues into account.
Oceana said to efficiently protect marine ecosystems and restore fish stocks, the European Union should include in the CFP to expand the network of marine protected areas to at least 20-30 percent as recommended by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), after achieving the 10 percent aim of the Convention on Biological Diversity by 2012.
