Positive outlook for our fishing waters

The breakthrough on fish discards is one of the most significant at an EU Fisheries Council in a decade, writes Minister Simon Coveney

THIS week saw a breakthrough agreement reached by EU fisheries ministers on ending the discarding of dead fish at sea. This is the most significant outcome at an EU Fisheries Council in more than a decade and will fundamentally change how fishermen operate at sea. Up to now, the Common Fisheries Policy forced fishermen to discard juvenile and mature fish that exceeded quota.

Fishermen and environmental groups are in agreement the discarding of dead fish at sea is not good for fishermen or for fish stocks. Fishermen often involuntarily end up catching juvenile fish or fish of a species for which they do not have quota and are then forced to throw the unwanted fish back into sea, dead. This has an obvious negative impact on the sustainability of stocks for the future, damaging both fishermen’s livelihoods and the environment.