The fish4tomorrow Campaign has said that it is pleased overall with the outcome of the political agreement made on the 30th May 2013 in relation to the Common Fisheries Policy reform.

The reform states that scientific advice will be followed when allocating quotas which, it has been estimated, could increase fish stocks by up to 15 million tonnes by the end of the decade.

The campaign organisers said that they are pleased to note that fishing opportunities will now be distributed via the use of transparent environmental and social criteria such as the environmental impact of the fishery, the history of compliance, and the contribution to the local economy. Currently, 75% of European fish stocks are overfished with the percentage reaching more than 80% in the Mediterranean.

The organisers said that reform should also aim to reduce the wasteful practice of discards where currently over 2 million tonnes of fish are discarded every year in the EU. Finally, European nations must reduce the size of their fleets or stand to lose out on EU subsidies.

“Our only concern is that ministers rejected Parliament’s request for a clear deadline,” the campaign organisers said.

fish4tomorrow said that they feel that the setting of such policies to protect Europe’s fisheries is the only way to protect local industries as well as the environment. It is important that the policy keeps small-scale, traditional fishermen as a priority in order to protect local heritage and ensure an adequate supply of local, sustainable seafood.

The fish4tomorrow campaign is a local campaign which aims to promote environmentally sustainable fisheries and fish consumption.

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