Fisheries target un EU’s 2020 biodiversity strategy unrealistic without equally ambitious CFP

Oceana calls on the EC to make ecological sustainability the top priority objective for the CFP, which is the only way to ensure social and economic benefits to present and future generations.

Press Release Date: May 4, 2011

Location: Madrid

Contact:

Marta Madina | email: mmadina@oceana.org | tel.: Marta Madina

Oceana welcomes the long awaited EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy, presented at a press conference today by Commissioner Janez Poto?nik, which reaffirms the EU’s intention to halt the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services by 2020. Fisheries are obviously a critical area of this Strategy, which also covers restoration of the marine environment. However, Oceana questions how realistic the fisheries target is, given that marine biodiversity largely depends on the upcoming reformed Common Fishery Policy. Sectoral implementation will be a key challenge of the Strategy, and without translating it fully into all other EU policies, the credibility of the European Commission (EC) will be at risk if it once again fails to achieve its biodiversity commitments.

Oceana calls on the EC to make ecological sustainability the top priority objective for the CFP, which is the only way to ensure social and economic benefits to present and future generations.

Statement by Nicolas Fournier, Coordinator of Oceana’s Brussels office: “Most of the policy measures under the Fisheries Target fall under the authority of the CFP, which is unlikely to have the same level of ambition regarding biodiversity objectives. Strong precautionary measures are needed to effectively eliminate destructive fishing practices, phase-out harmful subsidies, or ensure the recovery of fish stocks in order to reflect the objective of the 2020 Biodiversity Strategy. With the new CFP only coming into force in early 2013, and even just considering the significant knowledge gaps about European fish stocks, it is clear what an immense task Member States have ahead of them if Maximum Sustainable Yield is to be achieved by 2015.”

Learn more:  EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy Communication