EU fisheries policy does not contemplate the evolution of fish stocks

2002/07/05 Elhuyar Zientzia

• Arrantza

The European Union decided to
capture larger fish species to protect small fish. This decision, however, has led to a major change in the fish population: the variety of species has declined considerably.

Researchers and ecologists have highlighted the danger of this policy, since fishermen do not distinguish between the big fish to protect and the rest. For scientists Conover, Munch and Mattice of the University of Stony Brook, the intention of the European Union is good, but its methods are not adequate: protecting small fish and capturing only large endanger species of rapid maturation and growth. According to these scientists, the only reference cannot be the size of the fish, and fishermen must respect the fish that are already protected, even if they are large, so that threatened natural species can survive.