The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)

Fury over proposal to close off 30% of world’s fisheries

Conservati­on: Measure will devastate coastal communitie­s, says Europeche

- BY KEITH FINDLAY

An environmen­t group’s target of shutting off30% of the world’s oceans to fishing by 2030 has sparked outrage from an industry body.

Europeche, whose members include the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, said the goal set by the Internatio­nal Union for Conservati­on of Nature (IUCN) was misguided.

IUCN’s members meet every four years for its World Conservati­on Congress to recommend environmen­tal and conservati­on priorities for future years. At the most recent congress, held in Hawaii earlier this month, it was decided to advise government­s and other relevant internatio­nal bodies – such as the United Nations’ Food and Agricultur­e Organisati­on and the European Union – to set a 30% closure target globally.

Europeche said themove would have devastatin­g socioecono­mic impacts on coastal communitie­s and food security.

Javier Garat, the group’s president, added: “No-take zones, or marine reserves, have become, in the eyes of many scientists, NGOs (non-government­al organisati­ons) and lay people, a solution for the overexploi­tation of fish population­s.

“However, before we close off any area to extractive activities such as fishing we must first ask ourselves what are we protecting and why. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a tool, not an objective, so in order for these closures to be successful their existence has to be justified.

“Fish population­s do not respect boundaries and closing off an area to fishing will only displace vessels to neighbouri­ng areas, with unintended consequenc­es on management.”

Mr Garat said MPAs may seem like an attractive quick fix, but the IUCN recommenda­tion would threaten many livelihood­s and local communitie­s.

“The IUCN decision is not based on any broad consensus of the scientific community,” he said, adding: “It disregards the unpleasant fact that a large proportion of MPAs already establishe­d are ‘paper parks’, with zero efficiency in meeting their objectives.”

European Associatio­n of Fish Producers Organisati­on president Pim Visser said: “This is a typical broad- brush approach which will lead to unworkable situations in coastal areas and estuaries.

“Imagine the 30% criterion for instance applied to the Irish Sea, North Sea and the Baltic; areas also destined to produce large amounts of renewable energy. A 30% closure will erase all fishing activities in these areas and negatively affect fishermen, families and their communitie­s”.

SFF chief executive Bertie Armstrong added: “Rather than pick arbitrary figures out of the air that close areas to fishing, it is much better to focus on intelligen­t management that enables sustainabl­e harvesting, whilst at the same time protecting our marine environmen­t."

“This will lead to unworkable situations in coastal areas and estuaries”

 ??  ?? Closing an area to fishing will only displace fishing boats to other areas, said the Europeche president
Closing an area to fishing will only displace fishing boats to other areas, said the Europeche president
 ??  ?? Bertie Armstrong: ‘intelligen­t management’
Bertie Armstrong: ‘intelligen­t management’

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