Denmark take the lead

For the past year, six Danish fishing boats have carried cameras to document the fishermen’s catches at sea.

A report by the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) assessing the photographic trials, showed among other things that the fishermen kept considerably more small fish on board than previously.

Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Eva Kjer Hansen says that the results support the Danish proposals for a change from landing quotas for fish to catch quotas which ensures that all fish caught are counted against the quota which will in turn reduce the motivation to discard small fish and induce an incentive to fish selectively.

Minister Eva Kjer Hansen continued “I believe that the results of the trial can help persuade the Commission and my European colleagues that the Danish way is the way ahead.

“The next challenge facing us is ensuring the development of selective fishing techniques, so smaller fish can grow and reproduce to benefit fish stocks, the fishing industry and consumers.

“I do not think that the Commission’s proposals for reforming the common fisheries policy are ambitious enough when it comes to giving the fishermen a strong motivation to fish selectively.

The reform of the CFP is intended to be adopted by 2012 at the latest.

Category: Commercial