CFP Reform Watch

Thursday 2 May 2013 is an important date for the future of European fish and fishermen. Representatives of 27 EU governments will meet and come very close to deciding whether they want to conclude the negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council on the fisheries reform in a constructive manner, or whether they want to block the entire reform.

The European Parliament has laid out a vision of a future with sustainable fisheries in the EU. In the first reading, a large majority of MEPs – from all political parties and member states – agreed to end overfishing by 2015 with the aim of allowing fish stocks to recover to sustainable levels by 2020. In other words, by 2020, we envision a thriving fishing industry, a healthier marine environment, and sustainable European fish for European consumers.

From 2012:

“The CFP needs an explicit mention of recreational sea fisheries”

The jobs generated by sea angling are as good as jobs generated by other sectors such as commercial fisheries and aquaculture, but that is nowhere to be seen in the proposed CFP, writes Jean Claude Bel and John Crudden.

For Europe alone we estimate that 8-10 million Europeans go sea angling. Their expenditures are 8-10 billion euros, which supports tens of thousands of jobs. This economy and jobs generated are as good and valid as economy and jobs generated by other sectors but that is not to see from the proposed CFP text.