THE LATEST figures on fish stocks in EU waters indicate that efforts to phase out overfishing are paying off, said the European Commission.
In a consultation document, the Commission reported on the state of European fish stocks. The data shows that 39% of assessed fish stocks in EU waters of the Northeast Atlantic are now overfished, down from 47% last year and 95% in 2005.
Maria Damanaki, EU commissioner for maritime affairs and fisheries, said: “These figures show that responsible fisheries management measures can and do work. Still, we need to strengthen our efforts to end overfishing by the target date we have agreed. We need to complete the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy in order to achieve that.”
An end is in sight for CFP reform agreements, with the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers reaching a deal late last week. However, campaigners remain concerned that overfishing will continue.
