common fisheries policy

common fisheries policy

1. The CFP was first introduced in the 1970s and went through successive updates, the most recent of which took effect on 1 January 2014.

2. The CFP is a set of rules for managing European fishing fleets and for conserving fish stocks.

3. In theory this access is supposed to be equal, but in practice it is not: the EU manages access to fishing waters and determines how many fish a national fleet can catch.

4. Employment in the fishing industry has declined dramatically, particularly in the UK, and fish stocks continue to fall despite recent reforms

5. Fisheries are a natural and mobile resource and are thus, by nature, common property

   • The CFP protects the environment and improves fish stocks by placing limits on how many fish can be caught.
     • The restructuring of the fishing industry in the EU has ensured fairer prices for efficient European fishermen
       • ARGUMENT FOR

6. The willingness of national administrations to enforce the policy varies widely making it an inconsistent and ineffective policy

   • The damage to the environment has been increased rather than decreased due to CFP measures, which waste natural resources
     • ARGUMENT AGAINST
   • Through the practice of dumping catches that do not conform to the TAC species quotas, fish stocks have continued to decrease.

7. In 2008, as a result of stock recovery, North Sea cod catches were increased by 11%.

8. By Caitlin Lawrence