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NE ATLANTIC PELAGICS NEED RADICAL NEW APPROACH FOR QUOTA SHARING

NE ATLANTIC PELAGICS NEED RADICAL NEW APPROACH

NE Atlantic pelagics need radical new approach for quota sharing. Coastal State governments need to adopt a radical new approach to reach an agreement on quota sharing for North East Atlantic (NEA) pelagic fish stocks, a new report commissioned by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has found.

The report, North East Atlantic Pelagic Fisheries – Management Challenges for Straddling Fish Stocks, by marine consultancy, ABPmer – says that years of broken agreements on quota sharing for blue whiting, herring and mackerel has resulted in quotas being set above sustainable limits, threatening the long-term health of these vital fish stocks.

As a result, fisheries for these stocks had their MSC certification suspended, and many have since withdrawn from the Programme.

North East Atlantic (NEA) pelagic fish are among the largest populations of commercially exploited fish stocks in the world, providing nutrient-rich protein for millions as well as being an important source of fish meal for aquaculture production.

The report found that agreement on sustainable catches, that reflects the advice from scientists, is possible if the mechanisms for agreeing quotas are reformed. The recommendations set out in the report would prevent states from being able to walk away from reaching agreements that could secure the long term future of fish stocks and the ecosystems and economies that rely on them.

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