The United Kingdom’s House of Lords E.U. Select Committee has approached Robert Goodwill, minister of state for agriculture, fisheries, and food with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), about the level of unsustainable fishing allowed by the fishing quotas for 2019 that were agreed upon by E.U. fishing ministers.
In a letter to the minister dated 13 March, 2019, the committee raised its deep concerns that the number of quotas set in line with maximum sustainable yield (MSY) have decreased from 69 percent in 2018 to 59 percent this year.
“While we appreciate the need to adjust fishing practices to avoid choke situations in light of the full implementation of the landing obligation, it is inexcusable that E.U. fishing ministers failed so spectacularly in their responsibility to secure sustainable catch limits. The Common Fisheries Policy requires sustainable fishing by 2020. In your view, is that still achievable? If so, how will the necessary changes be made in the next 10 months?” the letter asks.
Goodwill has also been asked to give reassurances that stocks with substantially increased quotas to reflect the full implementation of the landing obligation that took place from 1 January will be fished at MSY, when the committee’s recent report “Fisheries: implementation and enforcement of the EU landing obligation” found that the United Kingdom was not ready to enforce the regulations.
The letter said the committee’s report raised concerns about the quota uplift. It also highlighted the conclusion: “If fishers continue to discard and simultaneously land their increased quota, they will be catching greater volumes ... potentially leading to overfishing and damage to fish stocks.”
In a statement, Lord Robin Teverson, chair of the E.U. sub-committee that is scrutinizing the agreement, said fishing at sustainable levels is crucial for protecting both the fishing industry and the seas themselves.
“It is inexcusable that E.U. fishing ministers – including our own – have failed so spectacularly in their responsibility to secure sustainable catch limits, and it now seems almost inconceivable that E.U. will meet its sustainability target by next year. The minister needs to explain what changes are being made to tackle this problem, urgently,” he said.
The committee has requested the minister’s response to these and other questions within 10 working days.
Image courtesy of the U.K. Parliament website
