European fishing industry body Europêche has been quick to welcome the proposal by the European Commission’s proposal to strengthen EU regulations designed to combat unsustainable fishing practices by non-EU countries.
‘This is a much-needed response to the long-standing frustrations of the European fishing sector. For years, EU fishers have been subjected to unfair and unsustainable practices by non-EU countries, particularly Norway, which has repeatedly disregarded European fishing rights,’ said Europêche managing director Daniel Voces, expressing unreserved support for the proposal.
‘The EU needs stronger, clearer tools to enforce responsible fishing practices and protect our industry. We welcome this step taken by the Commission, which gives the EU the ‘teeth’ to stand up for the sustainable management of our shared resources.’
The proposed amendment sets out to clarify conditions under which non-EU countries may be identified as allowing unsustainable fishing practices on shared fish stocks. Under this revision, the EU will have the authority to impose restrictive measures on offending countries, including the possibility of import bans, in a fair and non-discriminatory manner.
According to Europêche, this proposal comes at a crucial time, as EU fishing interests have increasingly been undermined by aggressive actions from certain non-EU nations.
‘Notably, Norway’s unilateral and unlawful actions, such as excessive mackerel quotas and cod quota grabs, have frustrated the European fishing sector and are at the heart of the problem of overfishing in the North East Atlantic,’ he said.
‘Europêche urges swift approval and implementation of the revised regulation to address ongoing concerns and prevent further damage to fish stocks of common interest.’
