Audit of Europe’s fisheries uncovers web of deceit

EUROPE’S fisheries policy is in a shambles with huge overfishing and no proper controls on the €6 billion industry despite many species being close to extinction.

The European Union’s Court of Auditors uncovered a web of deceit and neglect that allows fishermen to catch way over their quota and countries to relay wrong information to the European Commission.

But despite suspecting the data is incorrect, the commission for the past 20 years has been forced to base its fishing quota allowances for each country on the data.

It has been unable to enforce the severe cut in quota for many species, including zero for some, as recommended by the scientists each year, in the face of opposition from member states. As a result 81% of stocks are overfished.

The extent of the problem was outlined in detail by the auditors that carried out investigations in six of the member states with leading fishing sectors — Spain, Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Denmark and France.

Ireland was not included in the audit but the commission has launched infringement proceedings against the country over the unreliability of its catch data.

The auditors found the catch reported by vessels and logged by the authorities was wrong in many cases.

In France for instance the total catch for six species analysed was significantly different from the final figures sent to the commission.

“The commission is aware of the unreliable quality of the data that it receives, and it has already said so publicly. Nevertheless it is these data of unreliable quality that are being used by the commission in trying to prevent and, where appropriate, penalise quota overruns,” the report said.

The commission is due to table a new regulation on fisheries control in the second half of 2008, which it says will address some of the problems identified by the auditors.