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March 22, 2012

Managing the unmanaged: 82% of fish species caught by the EU fleet lack catch limits

BY: Mark Brown

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© OCEANA / Sergio Gosálvez

 

Did you know that 82% of fish species caught by the EU fleet lack catch limits? This means that 686 fish species, including commonly eaten ones like octopus and mullet, can be exploited without any management of the stocks or fishing effort used.

And these species are no small fry. In total, their economic value amounts to more than a third of the total EU catch and, without real measures to ensure the sustainability of fishing levels, their stocks will come under even more pressure.

Oceana wants to see more species managed by official catch limits and better monitoring of the fish species in our seas. Only that way can we ensure all species are protected and the biodiversity of our waters maintained. To help, we put together a report going into detail about the unmanaged species in European waters, and offering recommendations to move forward.

Have a look and tell us what you think.