ECONOMY

Commissioner appeals for pact to curb Mediterranean overfishing

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Europe’s fisheries chief has appealed to EU governments to stop 15 years of bickering over how to curb Mediterranean overfishing and prevent a string of species from disappearing from its waters. Scientists have warned for years that species such as hake, swordfish, octopus and sardines – favorites on dinner tables in many Mediterranean countries – are on the danger list. EU ministers failed again in September to agree on rules that would have made Mediterranean fishermen use nets with larger holes so that younger fish have a better chance to escape, thus allowing numbers to recover. The proposal from the EU’s executive Commission also set minimum distances for trawlers from coastal zones that are habitats for sensitive wildlife and fish. The opposition was led by France and Italy, which complained of the threat to local industries whose livelihoods depend on small-scale fishing. EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg, in a letter sent to the same 25 ministers, said the failure to agree would just make life worse for the region’s fishermen in the long run. «This lost opportunity will mean further stock depletion in the Mediterranean. By not taking action now, we are only making future measures more difficult to take, and fishermen will thank no one for that,» Borg said in the letter obtained by Reuters. «No one can argue against the need to take action. .. all available data show that we have less fish, smaller catches, lower catch rates and excessive catches of small immature fish.» More than 100,000 fishermen make their living from the Mediterranean, using mostly small boats.

Subscribe to our Newsletters

Enter your information below to receive our weekly newsletters with the latest insights, opinion pieces and current events straight to your inbox.

By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.