“Missing Fish” event to #EndOverfishing

 

This World Fisheries Day (21 November), Oceana, alongside eight other environmental NGOs, held a unique event outside the building where the Council meeting of EU agricultural and fisheries ministers took place. The event, called “Missing Fish”, featured a fictional fish stand with images and other props that reminded visiting decision-makers and passers-by about the historical size and abundance of some of the most depleted fish populations in the Northeast Atlantic that, unfortunately, are still being overfished.

Image credit: © OCEANA/ Maxime Baldweyns

The event was the culmination of Oceana in Europe’s #EndOverfishing campaign actions throughout the year, not only coinciding with the Council meeting, but also with the upcoming agricultural & fisheries Council meeting in Brussels (12-13 December) where fishing opportunities for 2023 will be discussed, and ultimately, adopted.

Oceana’s message is loud and clear: The EU has failed to meet the legal deadline to end overfishing by 2020, set in the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and in UN Sustainable Development Goal commitments. And, although the EU annually reaffirms its commitment to sustainable fishing, it continues to ignore the scientific advice  by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) when setting fishing quotas for several fish populations. 

Please visit our Sustainable Fisheries page to learn more about our #EndOverfishing campaign and how we are building more sustainable fisheries throughout Europe.