If successful the proposal would end deep-sea overfishing, ban destructive fishing methods such as bottom trawling and protect deep-sea habitat by closing vulnerable areas to deep-sea bottom fishing.
The Green and GUE political groups in the European Parliament have tabled amendments for re-introducing the phase out of most destructive deep-sea fishing, as have 40 members of the ALDE group. Individual MEPs from the other groups including S&D and EPP have added their names.
On Monday 9 December, S&D MEPs met to discuss whether to also support the amendment.
The vote is currently scheduled for Tuesday 10 at 12pm at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition is campaigning for an EU Regulation that:
- Ends deep-sea overfishing by ensuring that the catch of all deep-sea species is regulated and that fishing is permitted only if the catch, including that of by-catch species, can be limited to sustainable levels based on a clear scientific understanding of the status of deep-sea stocks and associated precautionary science-based management.
- Ensures that deep-sea fisheries are managed to minimise and, where possible, eliminate the by-catch of non-target species and prevent the catch of the most vulnerable species.
- Ensures that adverse impacts on vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems, such as corals, sponges, and seamounts, are prevented through appropriate management of all deep-sea fisheries, including the closure of vulnerable areas to deep-sea bottom fishing.
- Requires impact assessments for all deep-sea fisheries.
- Ends destructive fishing practices through a phase-out of bottom trawling and bottom gill-net fishing for deep-sea species
