European Fisheries Council: ocean of missed opportunity: Greenpeace

Europe's fisheries ministers have once again missed an opportunity to respond to the fish stock crisis in Europe's seas by ignoring scientific advice to significantly cut fishing quotas, Greenpeace said on 19 December 2007.

"As Greenpeace predicted on Monday, today's decision continues a three decade long trend of Ministerial incompetence that is dragging Europe's seas towards a point of no return - the Fisheries ministers simply cannot be trusted and more than ever Europe's environment ministers need to be included in future negotiations," said Greenpeace EU Marine Policy Advisor Saskia Richartz.

"The decision flies in the face of EU Fisheries Commissioner Borg?s public admission this week that most fish stocks are being overfished. Contrary to what the Commission's huge banners draped around the city have been telling
us this week - this Fisheries Council meeting has been a huge Ocean of Missed Opportunity," concluded Richartz.

On cod quotas for instance, the Ministers  have set an 11% increase in North Sea cod total allowable catches (TAC) rather than an overall decrease on last year's catch levels. In other cod stocks TACS have been cut by only 18% rather than the 25% proposed by the Commission.

Greenpeace European Unit is part of the international Greenpeace network, active in over 40 countries worldwide. Based in Brussels, we monitor and analyse the work of the EU institutions, expose deficient EU policies and laws, and challenge EU decision-makers to implement progressive solutions.