Frontpage » News

Pentus in Brussels: discarding of dead fish back into water must stop

Today, the EU ministers responsible for fishing met in Brussels to discuss the issue of fish discarding.

Estonia’s position is that fish discarding should be banned for all fishing gear which injures fish to such an extent that they cannot survive when released. ”Discarding of dead and injured fish into water is a hideous practice which should not exist in the European Union. No matter how we view it, whether from the environmental or economic perspective, we are dealing with irresponsible wasting,” said Minister of the Environment Keit Pentus, representing Estonia.

“Estonia banned fish discarding years ago, as to the fishing gear that makes survival of the released fish impossible.  Now there are discussions about implementation of these rules in the European Union as a whole.”

 
In her speech, the Minister of the Environment emphasized that the ban on discarding should be well-considered and realistic. ”A ban in itself is not a solution. It is first necessary to ensure that fishing is as selective as possible. Then there will simply be no need for discarding. And, of course, it is necessary to closely monitor the compliance with the ban,” Keit Pentus said.

 

The ban on discarding has been discussed within the framework of the fishing policy reform which aims to achieve a sustainable level of all fish resources by 2015.