Europe and Fisheries
More than 80 per cent of the European fish stocks are currently overexploited. European fisheries have been going through major crisis for several years, with many fish stocks, such as North Sea cod and
Mediterranean bluefin tuna, now on the brink of commercial extinction.
Europe’s fishing capacity is too great for the available resources and
scientists are constantly warning of the danger of setting high fishing quotas.
“At this pace, in less than 50 years there might be hardly any fish left in our seas.”
Equally, destructive fishing practices are putting the marine ecosystem under great pressure. A lot of unwanted fish and non-target species (such as sea birds, turtles, sharks) are often caught and thrown back in the sea, dead while the fishing practice of “bottom trawling” is causing massive harm to the ocean floor itself.
As part of a global initiative, WWF is working with fishers, fisheries managers, seafood traders and consumers to reform commercial marine fisheries towards long-term sustainability, that seafood is harvested in a way that sustains and protects the marine environment, the species within it and the people who depend on them. To achieve this goal, the WWF network is fully engaged in the
2012 reform of the EU Common Fisheries Policy.
The Maritime Policy: a vision for Europe’s oceans and seas
Not only overfishing but various sources of pollution and human activities are putting the European marine ecosystem at risk. In 2006, the European Union began the development of a new approach, with the
Marine Strategy and the
Maritime Policy aiming at a coherent management of all activities affecting the seas, from fisheries to shipping, energy and tourism.
Recognising the need for a competitive and viable maritime sector, WWF works to ensure that the environment is put at the heart of the new EU Maritime Policy.
