WWF has delivered to the European Parliament 150 thousand signatures calling for a reform of fisheries policy, so as to promote a more sustainable practice and the end of illegality and overfishing.
According to WWF this is the first time since the creation of the Common Fisheries Policy in 1983, that the members of the European Parliament have the opportunity to “correct 30 years of mismanagement by the Fisheries Ministers”, thanks to the application of the procedure of co-decision, which gives the Parliament equal decision-making power.
“The usual fierce pressures from the industrial fisheries sector have already weakened the proposal of the European Commission. Now it’s up to MEPs suffer such an attack,” says Marco Costantini, head of the Sea program of WWF Italy.
“If 150 thousand people are demanding more sustainable fisheries – said Ulrike Rodust, Parliament’s rapporteur for the Common Fisheries Policy, who received the petition – this means that they want their representatives in Parliament to adopt and promote an ambitious reform of fisheries”. The Fisheries Committee of the EU Parliament will be asked to vote on November 28.
(13/11/2012)