The European Commission said on Thursday that the longstanding problem of over-fishing by EU member states has finally shown signs of easing.
In what the European Union executive says could be an encouraging trend after years of radical cuts to quotas and the destruction of the industry in many regions, reductions imposed for excessive catches were down on previous years.
"I note the reduction in the total amount of overfishing as compared to last year and aim at ensuring a longer term trend in this respect," said Maria Damanaki, Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.
