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EUROPE'S Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki has delivered an impassioned plea outlining why changes to the Common Fisheries Policy are so vital.
Speaking to the "Fish For The Future" campaign group at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, she spoke about the "grim state of our fish stocks and fisheries", but pointed out that reform was now on the way.
The reforms included that "by 2015, each fish stock should be managed in a way that we can get maximum financial gain for fishermen while still keeping the stock sustainable. This is the concept of "Maximum Sustainable Yield". Discards should be banned. All catches should be landed and counted against quotas".
"Transferable fishing concessions should be introduced to help implement the discard ban and decrease fleet size by giving financial security to vessel owners who want to exit the market. There should be effective safeguards to protect small scale vessels and to prevent excessive concentration. A prominent role should be given to seawater and freshwater aquaculture as alternatives to overfishing. Labelling provisions should allow consumers to take more informed purchasing choices."
Ms Damanaki asked: "What do we expect to get from the reform? The benefits are clear. This reform will give us a policy that can bring about development and economic success for our fisheries and aquaculture industry; for the people who work in those industries; and for the coastal and rural communities which depend on those industries.
"In concrete terms it would bring: increased income for fishermen from bigger stocks, a revitalised and profitable fisheries sector and a boost to the development of sustainable aquaculture.
"It is not an exaggeration to say that instead of importing two-thirds of the fish consumed, the EU has the potential to cover its needs and have a good export grade. This is a reform for the future, our future," she added.
"I must tell you that I am more and more convinced – in particular after my trip to the US earlier this month – that we are on the right track. However, I also see that there is much convincing to do. Benefits must be explained. Misunderstandings must be clarified. False statements must be corrected. And we must always point out: what would be the alternative?"
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