PARIS – July 13, 2011 – The European Union on Wednesday proposed a major overhaul of its fisheries policy, including the creation of a market in fishing rights.
But environmentalists said that the plan did not address the overcapacity of the bloated European fleet.
Maria Damanaki, the European Union’s commissioner for maritime affairs and fisheries, said in Brussels that the changes were needed because scientific models suggested that only eight of 136 fish stocks in European Union waters would be at sustainable levels in 2022 if no action were taken.
The aim is to secure both fish stocks and fishermen’s livelihood for the future while putting an end to overfishing and depletion of fish stocks, she said.
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