MARINE conservation organisation Oceana is warning of high non-compliance with the Mediterranean Regulation that came into force yesterday (June 2) because the European fleet rejects the new measures for nets and distances from the coast.
The European trawl and seine fleets must use a new mesh size and, like dredges, must operate farther from the coast to target bivalves. But Oceana says the Regulation does not guarantee sustainable fishing because it only establishes minimum sizes for 27 marine species, leaving important habitats such as coral, gorgonian and sponge fields unprotected.
“We cannot let another failure in the application of European fishing legislation for the Mediterranean happen. Control must be strict and exceptions must be minimal,” said Xavier Pastor, executive director of Oceana Europe. “The new measures are necessary but still insufficient to achieve long-term sustainability of fishing activities and reduce the overexploitation to which many Mediterranean stocks are subjected.”
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