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EU Fisheries Ministers Fail to End Subsidies That Promote Overfishing

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European Marine ProgrammeWhen Europeans buy fish at the store or fishmonger, they might think that’s the only time they pay for your fish. Unfortunately it is not. Because EU and member state aid is given to the fishing industry, they are paying again and again for the same fish caught by EU vessels. Too often these subsidies support too many boats targeting overfished stocks. Reform of EU fisheries policy and related aid is essential to ensure that public funds are used to deliver sustainable fisheries.

Yet, this week in Luxemburg, the EU Fisheries Council agreed to continue overfishing subsidies.

“This summer, the EU joined with world leaders at the Rio Summit and the U.N. General Assembly to call for the elimination of harmful fishing subsidies. EU fisheries ministers have ignored this commitment to the world community by proposing to continue subsidies that increase fishing capacity and thus contribute to overfishing, "said Markus Knigge, an adviser to the Pew Environment Group.

“While we welcome the ministers’ call to only allocate aid to fishermen who follow the rules and regulations, we now look to the European Parliament to concentrate aid to stock recovery and management rather than exploitation.”

 

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