On the high seas, it is difficult to control whether the fishermen follow these rules.
EU rules against overfishing do not work
In order to better control targets against environmentally harmful overfishing in the EU, it is planned to use more video surveillance on vessels and satellite monitoring in the future. “The agreement updates about 70% of the current fishing vessel control rules to make fishing in the EU more sustainable,” the EU states announced after a decision made by negotiators from the EU Parliament and EU countries on Wednesday evening. Those who clearly violate the protection measures are threatened fines that will at least double the average cost of fish caught, according to the European Parliament. Many fish stocks in the waters around the EU are in poor condition. In addition to factors such as overfishing, other anthropogenic issues such as climate change also affect animals. Therefore, environmentalists have long called for reducing the catch of animals from many stocks and tightening controls.
For example, there is the problem of by-catch: fishermen’s nets often contain more than what they really want to catch. In order to limit bycatch and prevent masses of dead or seriously injured fish from being dumped into the sea, in many cases they have to be brought ashore. The so-called unloading obligation should be better controlled by the new rules. On the high seas, it was difficult to control whether the fishermen followed these rules.
In particular, according to the new rules, vessels over 18 meters in length, which are at risk of failing to comply with the disembarkation obligation, will be able to be monitored by video surveillance in the future. In the future, all ships will be monitored using a satellite system. This means that the authorities will receive regular data on the position, heading and speed of ships. There is a transitional period for smaller vessels. The catch must be recorded electronically. The new rules have yet to be officially approved by the Parliament and the EU states.
Environmental organization WWF sees light and shadow in the new rules. “In the future, it will be more difficult to throw caught fish overboard with impunity,” says WWF fisheries expert Stella Nemecki. However, whether the new rules will be implemented strictly enough remains to be seen in practice. There is often insufficient implementation.
Read also:
Subscribe to our Telegram
Receive 1 top news post per day
Today at 13:16
Top photo: picture alliance / Lukas Schulze/dpa
