European Parliament approves new fisheries control rules five years after initial proposal

The European Parliament approved new fisheries control rules during a plenary session on 17 October in Strasbourg, France, securing a long-awaited revamp to the European Union’s fisheries control system.

The new rules come five years after the European Commission first proposed a revision of the E.U.’s fisheries control system, with the aim of modernizing and simplifying rules for monitoring fishery activities and ensuring compliance with the E.U. Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

Under the new rules, all E.U. fishing vessels will need to be monitored and their catches electronically reported to ensure full traceability starting 1 January 2024. Specifically, all boats will need to carry a tracking device that allows national authorities to locate and identify them at regular intervals. Certain small-scale vessels may be exempt from this obligation until 2030, and all small-scale fishing fleets will have up to four years to adapt to the requirements.

The European Parliament said the new rules will help the bloc collect more ...

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