Positions & Papers
Joint NGO letter to the European Parliament against harmful subsidies
March 20, 2017
In the letter 101 environmental organisations wrote to Members of the European Parliament calling on them to maintain the EU ban on subsidies for the construction of fishing vessels. This ban has been in place since 2004 and we ask parliamentarians to maintain this position. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal on the ocean and seas (SDG 14) calls explicitly for the elimination of subsidies that contribute to overfishing by 2020. Attempts to reintroduce subsidies for the construction of new vessels undermines the objectives of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy to end overfishing and send the wrong political signal from the EU to leaders around the world.
Joint NGO position paper on the Commission’s Technical Measures Framework proposal
August 18, 2016
Technical measures are rules for where, when and how fishing may take place and are fundamental for regulating the impact of fishing on stocks and the wider marine ecosystem. In this paper, we have outlined our joint prorities for the forthcoming negotiations.
Analysis of the Baltic multiannual plan
June 20, 2016
The Baltic multiannual management plan for cod, herring and sprat stocks is analysed in the attached pdf. We welcome the use of multispecies management as a progression in how Baltic fish stocks are utilised, however, we are crticial of the plan as it places unnecessary risks upon the ecosystem and contains provisions which allow for overfishing to continue in breach of the MSY objective in the CFP.
Briefing on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund
April 30, 2013
This briefing on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) (COM(2011)804) is aimed at MEPs who are members of the Fisheries Committee in the European Parliament. They vote on amendments to the Cadec (EPP, FR) report in July and the annex provides analysis and voting recommendations on these proposals.
It is our view that the EMFF is a limited fund of public money that should be used to support the implementation of a CFP that:
- ends overfishing by restoring to and maintaining fish stocks at healthy levels;
- provides incentives for environmentally sustainable fishing practices; and
- reduces damage to marine ecosystems.
OCEAN2012 Briefing: An initial reaction to the Commission’s package on reform of the Common Fisheries Policy
July 12, 2011
In the face of concerted short-term economic interests, the Commission has struggled to craft a proposal that responds adequately to the issues outlined in its 2009 Green Paper. For example the proposal fails to prioritise the objective of achieving environmental sustainability as a prerequisite for achieving social and economic sustainability.The Commission claims to propose a radical reform, yet the most radical aspect of this proposal is the move towards a compulsory near-privatisation of marine resources.
OCEAN2012: Subsidies public funds for public services
June 12, 2010
OCEAN2012 would like the reformed CFP to:
- stop aid which contributes to maintaining or even increasing overcapacities, in particular all aid for the modernisation of vessels;
- stop public aid for access to fish resources;
- use money towards the creation of public goods, such as research, improved control and enforcement and the cooperation between fishermen and scientists as well as greater stakeholder involvement; and
- make information on fisheries subsidies transparent and accessible.
OCEAN2012: Discussion paper on the reform of the CFP
June 8, 2009
This paper responds to challenges in the previous reform, proposing a fundamentally new, principle-centred approach to fisheries management in Community waters and for the EU fleet globally. It outlines the key issues that OCEAN2012 - an alliance of organisations dedicated to transforming European Fisheries Policy to stop over-fishing, end destructive fishing practices and deliver fair and equitable use of healthy fish stocks - would like to see incorporated into a new CFP.