NEWS

Commissioner: Both EU and Russia have to fish responsibly

07-06-2011

To protect fish stocks, the EU and Russia need to listen to scientific advice and agree common objectives and principles within international organizations, EU Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Maria Damanaki has said during a lecture at the Baltic Academy of Fishery Fleet in Kaliningrad, Russia.
 
She reminded her audience of “a harsh reality nowadays” in fishing: “in the EU nine stocks out of ten are overfished and a third of them are in worrying state”. According to the Commissioner, this had happened thanks to new fishing technologies, and she stressed that overfishing was a problem not just for Europe but for the whole world.
 
Damanaki emphasized that both the EU and Russia have to maintain efforts for sustainability and to develop cooperation: “We don’t only have several seas, several stocks and several fishing interests in common; our economic relations are also very important for both parties. The EU and Russia are interdependent in many ways – not least in terms of trade and investment, where the potential for growth is great.”
 
The Commissioner told Russian students that the EU and Russia have to improve their framework for cooperation, adding: “As sole users of the Baltic Sea, I'm happy to report we are making good progress in managing it together. We are also starting to work together in the Black Sea, with the other players sharing that basin.”
 
She also said that the “Partnership for Modernisation will give extra momentum to EU-Russia cooperation” and the new EU-Russia agreement will provide a solid legal basis for closer bilateral relations” covering all areas of relations between the EU and Russia, adding: “But we are not there yet. This is why we must continue to work closely and improve our relationship even more. We need each other to reach our objectives. The EU and Russia are the first and second fishing powers in the world: wherever we fish, whether it is just outside here or out in the Great Seas, our duty is to fish responsibly and sustainably. If we don’t, who will?”
 
Commissioner Damanaki said the EU and Russia have to face together international challenges in the Arctic region: “We intend to work with Russia and the Arctic States for environmental protection and sustainable development – for example to come to good safety standards for polar vessels or for oil and gas exploitation.
The Arctic will test our ability to work together and our common willingness to put environmental protection, sustainability and public safety first. It will show whether we have understood – or not – that all we have is one planet after all.”
 
She called Russia to respect the sea and its inhabitants that are our economic future. The Commissioner also pointed out that new technologies must be used wisely to avoid overfishing. (ENPI Info Centre)
  
 
Read more
 
Commissioner Damanaki - speech
 
Commissioner Damanaki - website
 
European Commission DG for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries - website
 
ENPI Info Centre Press Pack - European Maritime Day – working with Eastern neighbours to face common challenges (20-05-2011)
 
ENPI Info Centre report - European Commission proposes sustainable management of Black Sea fish stock (05-10-2009)
 
EU publication - Species of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea (2009)


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