EU’s 840-million-euro-a-year fishing subsidies policy by next year would be the next big thing to fight overfishing and make the industry more sustainable. record shows that in UK waters scientists estimate fish stocks have declined by 94 percent in the past 118 years and commercial fishing has profoundly changed seabed ecosystems, leading to a collapse in numbers of many species.
As per environmental groups reformation of Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) has depleted fish stocks by swelling Europe’s fishing fleet, the world’s third largest. Greenpeace has called on the EU to cut its fleet and set aside 40 percent of EU waters as protected marine reserves. EU Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki, said that there is an urgent need of change in EU’s policy.
She added that overfishing problem has grappled EU fisheries and it is good to resolve it soon. Spanish Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Elena Espinosa, who chaired the meeting as rotating EU president, said the bloc planned to distinguish between small-scale and industrial fishing in the new version of the CFP.
According to Pew Environment Trust, Spain is the biggest recipient of EU and national fishing subsidies, accounting for 46 percent of the bloc total between 2000-2006. Damanaki added that the EU was considering introducing “International Transferable Rights” (ITRs), which would allow firms in one member state to buy fishing quotas from another.
