Issue 6 billion Euro to ocean protection and not to overfishing

Issue 6 billion Euro to ocean protection and not to overfishing

Started
16 August 2019
Petition to
Karmenu Vella (European Commissioner for Fisheries)
Signatures: 42,789Next Goal: 50,000
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Why this petition matters

Started by Lucas und Simone von Sana Mare

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In the year 2018, 85% of all commercial fish-stocks in the mediterranean sea were overfished. What if we had 6 billion Euro available for protecting the marine ecosystems in Europe or to implement effective control mechanisms for the fishing industry and sustainable fishing practices?

The good news are: The money is available. It is in the European Maritime and Fishery Fund (EMFF) and it will be remitted this year for the period 2021 to 2027.

The bad news are: Instead of investing in sustainable fishing, it is intended to invest the money in scaling up the fishing fleet. That means taxpayers’ money will be used to boost destructive and unsustainable fishing practices.

We demand from the European Commissioner for Fisheries, Karmenu Vella, to make sure, that the EMFF does not dedicate any money for subsidising the EU fishing fleet.

The planned EMFF is a step backwards. 15 years ago the EU had abolished subsidizations of the fishing fleet. Since than the overfishing in european waters decreased slightly. A resumption of the subsidizations would invert the positive development of the past years and foster the destruction of the marine ecosystem again.

The planned fund was accepted by the EU Committee on Fischeries (PECH), the EU council of ministers and the EU parliament in March and April and June respectively. The final law about the dedication of the money will be debated and concluded by the council of ministers, the parliament and the commission in the end of 2019. Fundamental changes must be applied in order to spend the financial means on much needed protection of natural resources.

We must call for these required changes all together!!! Please sign and share the petition.

It is also about justice and poverty reduction. Due to technological progress, fishing vessels catch every time more fish. Subsidizing the fishing fleet would lead to an installation of an inordinate fishing capacity. Besides overfishing, this promotes also poverty and hunger in Africa. Because the european fishing vessels catch the fish often in african fishing grounds. With every catch hundreds of tons of fish are taken out of the sea by the EU vessels. Almost nothing is left for the local fishermen, who need the fish as food and a source of income.

We want that the money of european taxpayers is used for implementing a sustainable fishing policy, ocean protection and to fight poverty and hunger. We are thus against the resumption of subsidies for the european fishing fleet.

 

Who we are:

Lucas from Sana Mare: Lucas ist physical Oceanographer and diving instructor. He concerns himself with he interference of mankind with the marine ecosystem and the resulting consequences. Since many years Lucas campaigns for ocean conservation in different environmental conservation groups and projects.

Simone from Sana Mare: Simone campaigns for a change in politics and consumer behaviour. Besides overfishing she fights mainly for a future with less wasing of natural resources. To this end she writes articles on www.freitagplastikfrei.de and collects signatures against the resource-intensive packaging of fruit-pulp.

 

About Sana Mare:

Sana Mare is an association for Ocen conservation (in formation). Our mission is reducing the negative impact of the modern society on the marine ecosystem. We aim to increase the awareness for the importance of the ocean for life on our planet and to advance ocean conservation. To this end we organize and conduct ocean and beach cleanups all over Europe and give lessons about the ocean in schools. lern more

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Signatures: 42,789Next Goal: 50,000
Support now
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Decision-Makers

  • Karmenu VellaEuropean Commissioner for Fisheries