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Reforming the European Common Fisheries Policy  photo: kieth bacongco Latest news: To read our response to the European Commission's proposal for the Common Fisheries Policy click HERE European fish stocks are in crisis; over 80 per cent of European fish stocks are overfished. Scientists, environmentalists, fishermen and member states agree that the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy is not working. The European Union has committed to reforming the Common Fisheries Policy and has called for radical ideas for change. Working closely with the Marine Conservation Society we have combined legal and scientific expertise and have developed a proposal for fundamental reform of the CFP which would achieve ecologically sustainable fisheries and would secure a future for the European fishing industry. We are calling our proposal the Fishing Credits System. The Fishing Credits System (FCS) applies a completely new approach to fisheries management and aims to create a culture of compliance by involving the industry in fisheries management, creating incentives for best practice and rewarding compliance. It uses the precautionary principle and proposes a framework for fisheries management based on ecosystems regions; each species caught within a region is worth a particular number of credits (which are weighted based on criteria such as the species’ vulnerability to overexploitation) and fishers in the region are given yearly credits allowances to use on any species they chose, as long as they do not exceed their total credits allowance. Under the FCS there would therefore be no need to discard to avoid going over-quota on a particular species. The FCS would eliminate almost all technical regulations and allow fishers to select their gear; it would also require everything caught to be recorded and landed, including most bycatch species. To ensure fishers can maximise the return from their credits allowance, the FCS allows a proportion of credits to be traded between active fishers. Under the FCS, compliance and best practice are rewarded with extra credits. We are now working to encourage trials of the FCS and to promote the proposal within the EU. Read The Fishing Credits System: a summary Read The CFP Reform Proposal: the Fishing Credits System Read The FCS Industry Guide More Marine Protection Publications James Thornton explains ClientEarth's plan to protect fisheries Watch James Thornton talks to Karen Coleman on Ireland's award-winning radio show the Wide Angle on Newstalk. He explores the problem of overfishing in Europe and ClientEarth's work with the Marine Conservation Society to make sure we can enjoy fish suppers in the future. |
