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Tag ‘common fisheries policy’

A FATAL TASTE FOR BABY-FISH

Monday, March 19th, 2012
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When the EU forbade juveniles catches, back in 2006, we knew that it was a first step, but a long way was still ahead: sometimes, putting a rule in writing is not enough to have respected!

And, as a Greek, I know that the fatal taste that we developed for baby-fish in the Mediterranean will be hard to change: almost every taverna in my country continues to serve, at least occasionally, fried juveniles.

It is very much enshrined in our culture: I am a big fan of Andrea Camilleri, the well known Italian writer who created Montalbano, and I intend to write him a letter to pay tribute to his work, but also to ask him to stop having the protagonist of his novels eating small squids: that is unethical!

Moreover, if fishermen let the fish grow, they can catch it the year after, bigger and more valuable: fishing for juveniles is economically irrational. Read the full entry

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LONDON: AN EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW

Sunday, February 5th, 2012
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All Aboard!

London Sustainable Fish City: All Aboard!

The initiative of making London the first Sustainable Fish City in the world is gaining momentum, also thanks to the Sustainable Fish Forum that took place in London on 24 January.

I had the chance to partake in the event, organised by the Marine Conservation Society, the Marine Stewardship Council, Seaweb’s Seafood Choices, and Sustain, and patronized by the famous chef Raymond Blanc.

It was inspiring to see how these people value the future of our oceans and how effective is their action! It shows that restaurateurs, caterers and retailers are ready to engage and to invest in sustainability. Read the full entry

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ILLEGAL FISHING: WE NEED SHARED COMMITMENT

Thursday, February 2nd, 2012
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Yesterday, I watched with empathy, in the second episode of Al Jazeera programme “Pirate Fishing“, the adventures of the fisheries ministry inspector Victor Kargbo and the reporter Juliana Ruhfus, chasing the Sea Queen/Ocean-3, caught fishing illegally in Sierra Leonean waters. And I was thrilled when they succeeded!
 

I am ever more convinced and committed that the EU has to play a leading role to stop illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Read the full entry

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LEARNING FROM OUR MISTAKES

Thursday, December 1st, 2011
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Rating: 3.7/5 (3 votes cast)

The small-scale fisheries fleet in Fournoi, in the Nineties

When, not a long time ago, I met representatives of small-scale fishermen, the president of Glaros (seagull, in Greek), the association of small-scale fishermen form the island of Fournoi, handed me a picture of what once was a significant small-scale fleet based on the island. The fleet was then scrapped –he affirms– following the adoption of the latest reform of the EU common fisheries policy, in the Nineties.

I believe that small-scale fishermen greatly contribute to the economic progress and the preservation of distinctive social and cultural characteristics of European coastal communities. Read the full entry

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THE GAME HAS JUST BEGUN

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011
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Friday last week, after the meeting of the Council where EU Ministers agreed quotas for the Baltic Sea, I took the time to watch “Game over – Facing our Ocean’s Point of No Return” .

This short but comprehensive documentary outlines well the urgency of concrete actions to counter the depletion of fish stocks and the severe consequences that any delay could trigger, be that in South America, in the North Sea or in the Baltic. Cod overfishing in Canadian waters, leading to the overmultiplication of sea urchins and the resulting damages for the whole ecosystem is just an example and the fact that this happened far away must not trick us. Seventy-five percent of our stocks are overfished and if we don’t act now, only 8 out of 136 EU stocks will still be healthy by 2022.

But, together with the pressure to make all necessary steps towards sustainability, maybe for the first time during my mandate, I also felt that we are on the right path: following the Commission proposal, all quota decisions taken by last week Council are based on scientific advice!. Read the full entry

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DON’T KILL THE (GODS’) MESSENGER

Monday, September 26th, 2011
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Technically, we refer to them as “cetaceans by-catch”, but the awkward feelings you get looking at the picture of a dolphin entangled in a fishing net, dead, clearly show how this definition is cold. In Greek mythology, dolphins were messengers of Poseidon, the god of the sea. Today, dolphins and cetaceans have maybe lost their sacred aura, but they are still some of the most visible and iconic indicators of ocean health. It is clear we must give them proper protection from the many human activities – including fishing. Read the full entry

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REFORM AND SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

Monday, August 29th, 2011
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Reaching the end of August, a difficult summer is ending. Now we have to speed up.  The economic recession, deepening in some European countries, underlines the basic need: we have to promote concrete measures for enhancing the employment and the quality of life of young people. The basic danger is still there: our children will live in a way worse than our own. Hence, our proposals have to invest to future. “Sustainability” is now the important word, still it needs a concrete political translation.

At the beginning of the summer I presented the proposal for a fisheries policy for the future, now under discussion in the Ministers Council, the European and national parliaments. This proposal is exactly about sustainability: we try to ensure the survival of sea stocks, in order to have new employment opportunities in fisheries and aquaculture sector

There were already a lot of reactions, some of them very skeptical or negative. Is this approach realistic? Is this change too radical for the social situation of the fisheries sector? Is the environmental aspect overwhelming the social one? Read the full entry

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SUSTAINABLE FISH: ASK FOR IT!

Thursday, July 28th, 2011
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During our “chat” on Twitter, a couple of weeks ago, some of you asked how I intend to communicate on the reform of the Common fisheries policy and how we can “win allies” to support the proposals.

On my side, I will push for ending overfishing and let those stocks that are depleted grow again. I can discuss with EU Ministers and the European Parliament the improvements that the reform would bring about, making decisions more effective. I can meet fishermen, to find together the best way to ending discards – avoiding catching what cannot be put on the market in the first place.

But, in the end, this will have little impact if consumers do not drive the market towards ever more sustainable practices. It will be them –you– that can make a difference. Read the full entry

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