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December 19, 2012

An update on fisheries subsidies

© OCEANA / Xavier Pastor

 

With all the cheer around yesterday’s vote on the CFP, we wanted to make sure that a couple of pieces of good news on fisheries subsidies didn’t slip through the cracks.

Yesterday, both the Parliament’s Fisheries and Budget committees voted through several amendments aimed at blocking funding for fishermen who do not comply with fishing and freezing funds for Member States that do not achieve the objectives set in EU fishing legislation. MEPs also passed amendments that will make Member States responsible for achieving a balance between fishing capacity and the resources available, and conducting a thorough assessment of their own fishing capacity.

We were also thrilled that on the Budget Committee also voted down amendments that would allow subsidies to be used for modernization and building of boats as well as giving vessels that lay idle in ports financial hand outs.

Millions of euros in subsidies have been wasted under the current financial mechanism in worst cases have often contributed to the dire state of the fish stocks in Europe. The thing is, despite the fact that there are too many boats chasing too few fish, subsidies have long funded overfishing. Yesterday’s voting outcomes are essential if we intend to use the 5.7 billion euros that will be available under the EMFF is an efficient and sustainable way.