22 de abril de 2009 | Noticias | Soberanía Alimentaria
Net Economy
Immediate solutions demanded on bycatch
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While several countries move forward on the discussion on the right to food sovereignty, there is evidence that shows the lack of sustainability of some production models.
A recent research conducted shows that 7.3 million tonnes of bycatch are discarded annually. Bycatch is the catch of species which are not part of the commercial target of the big companies of the sector.
This denounciation based on the “lack of regulation” implemented by the authorities will be submitted by organization Oceana to the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting which will start tomorrow in Luxembourg.
The information issued by Oceana is revealing and shows how paradoxical this situation is: fisheries with high percentages of discards are allowed throughout the EU, and in some cases, up to 9 kilos of discards are generated for each kilo of target catch.
If the authorities do not implement “far reaching and science based governance” to prevent this, “the collapse of marine resources” will be inevitable, according to Oceana. The complete absence of regulations in EU waters results in the fact that 3,000 tonnes are discarded every day, Oceana added in their statement.
The European Commission states that the thousands of tonnes discarded include mammals, birds, crustaceans and molluscs, but Oceana´s scientists are also asking to consider sponges, corals and other animal species as well.
The solution to this serious problem is easy to point out but difficult to implement: discard should be banned and the powerful companies responsible should be sanctioned.
However, the representatives of the environmentalist groups fear that the Luxembourg meeting may become another sample of lack of action. “In 2008, opportunities came and went that may have constituted a starting point to solve the problem of discards, but other interests were more important. We cannot continue to postpone the adoption of measures”, warned Xavier Pastor, Escutive-Director of Ocenana Europe. In addition to the ban to bycatch, the environmentalist group proposes to improve the selectivity of all fishing gear and the closure of areas which have been impacted by this degradation.
To propose immediate solutions or to leave the door open to a disheartening future. These are the two options on the table. Another document submitted by Oceana to the European authorities states that there is scientific evidence that shows that under business as usual all fished species are predicted to collapse by the year 2048.
