Report | September 26, 2018

Oceana Contribution to European Commission’s Consultation on Fishing Opportunities for 2019

There are only 18 months left to achieve the 2020 deadline to stop overfishing. However, despite the progress made in reducing fishing pressure in the Atlantic waters and adjacent seas during the recent decade, the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries has confirmed repeatedly that the improvements achieved so far are insufficient to meet the Common Fisheries Policy commitments. In particular, in the Mediterranean and Black Sea the situation remains deeply worrying. Ending overfishing will not only contribute to the Good Environmental Status of the European marine ecosystems, as required by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, but also to the good socio-economic performance of the European fleet and related industries.