Deep sea fishing to be banned in EU waters
Following nearly a decade of campaigning and negotiation, the European Parliament has announced a ban on all fishing below 800 metres, and restrictions on fishing below 400 metres to help protect particularly vulnerable deep-sea marine ecosystems that are quick to collapse and regenerate at slow rates.
- EU vessels must report publically if they target deep sea species.
- All catches, including bycatch and others like sponges and corals must be reported
- Member states must carry out impact assessments to locate vulnerable ecosystems
- 20 per cent of EU vessels will be required to have an observer (scientist) on board to ensure the collection of timely and accurate data.
The text accepted was significantly watered down compared to versions tabled in previous negotiations; which is thought to be the result of an intense lobbying effort by Spain, whose fleet mainly fishes outside European waters, and so is effectively exempt from the ban.
Published Thursday 7 July 2016
Sustainable Fish: A campaign to protect precious marine environments and fishing livelihoods, and call for fish to be bought from sustainable sources. We want to show what can be done if people and organisations make a concerted effort to change their buying habits.