Yesterday marked the first day of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) coming into force. This milestone is the result of more than three years of difficult negotiations, in which the UK took the lead to secure some significant changes to what has been long seen as a fundamentally flawed CFP.
As of yesterday we now have a legally binding commitment to fishing at sustainable levels so that annual quotas, underpinned by scientific advice, achieve healthy fish stocks and a prosperous fishing industry. The new CFP also allows for decisions on fisheries to be made away from Brussels so that EU countries are now able to work together on measures appropriate to their own fisheries.
Furthermore a ban on discarding in ‘pelagic’ fisheries (such as mackerel and herring) will take effect on 1 January 2015 with a further ban on discards in other fisheries starting from 1 Jan 2016. The ban on discards is a vital accomplishment which will transform the way we fish our seas and help us continue to fish sustainably for decades to come.
