SavingSeaFood - EU told plan to combat fish depletion has failed

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EU told plan to combat fish depletion has failed

BRUSSELS—The European Union's audit office has said the $2.25 billion program to combat fish stock depletion through subsidies was a failure.

EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki on Monday promised to revamp the policy under which almost nine out of ten fish stocks, such as cod and bluefin tuna, are overfished.

For the last two decades, the EU had hoped to protect threatened fish stocks by subsidizing the scrapping of vessels used in fishing. The European Court of Auditors said that was a mistake.

ECA member Lazaros Lazarou said that "the existing policy has failed," despite spending euro1.7 billion since 1994.

Read the complete story in The Boston Globe

HASTINGS: Time to improve the Endangered Species Act

May 18, 2012 - When the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was signed into law in 1973 by President Nixon, he spoke about the importance of preserving “the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed.” I believe that goal is as important today as it was back then. However, after nearly 40 years, it’s time to take a fresh, honest look at the law and consider whether there are ways it could be improved to do a better job of protecting and recovering species.

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