As the European Fisheries Council finishes negotiations with the European Parliament over a new common fisheries policy (CFP), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) issued a statement calling on parliament to hold fast on strong proposed reforms.
Critics have said the policy has been behind the times for years, lacking good measures for managing bycatch and quotas, among other deficiencies. This year, the E.U. began a process to reform the CFP, which is used to set quotas and fishing regulations throughout Europe.
After the parliament passed a revamped version, the council, made up of fisheries ministers from all the E.U. member states, also voted to approve the new CFP, but not before recommending a series of amendments that some groups, including the WWF, have said are watering down the first real reform the CFP has had in years.
Now, the CFP must pass parliament once again before being finally approved, and the WWF is urging parliament to stick with its original reforms, and not give in to pressure from the council, which the WWF said is taking the form of “bully tactics.”
“MEPs like Ulrike Rodust have admirably defended their Parliamentary mandate in negotiations over recent weeks, and have strongly resisted pressure from Council to throw in the towel and reach a quick but weak compromise,” said Roberto Ferrigno, WWF’s common fisheries policy reform coordinator. “The Council’s attitude of non-negotiation goes completely against the spirit of co-decision with Parliament and is completely unacceptable.”
The WWF argued that if the council gets its way, overfishing will continue until 2020, and fish stocks may not last that long.
“This is not just the view of WWF, it is also held by progressive fishermen, scientists, industry and the public who all want real and sustainable reform,” said Andrea Kohl, program director with the WWF European policy office. “This deal will guide EU fisheries policy for the next 10 years and in the current situation of depleted fish stocks, we may not have another chance to get it right.”
