Taking Stock: Journalism Conference on European Fisheries issues

From 23 until 26 October 2012 the conference 'Taking stock' on the future of the EU Common Fisheries Policy was held in Lübeck as part of a series of seminars for European journalists. The conference was organized by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network (EJN) in collaboration with the Ecologic Institute.

The European Union Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which allows for consistent fisheries management across Europe, was introduced in 1982 and is revised every 10 years. In 2002, the objectives of the new CFP aimed to ensure "the sustainable development of fishing activities from an environmental, economic and social point of view". It has been the subject of much criticism due to its apparent inability to effectively manage the European marine resources. 82% of Mediterranean stocks and 63% of Atlantic stocks are considered overexploited. In 2009, an EU Green Paper concluded that the CFP is a failed policy in need of fundamental reforms.

Reporting on fisheries issues has also faced fundamental problems – partly because so much of the activity takes place remotely and out of sight but also because the science and policy surrounding fisheries is so complex. In order to correct this, the EJN’s, supported by the Oak Foundation organized three seminars in Dublin, Saint-Raphaël and Lübeck to inform European journalist on fisheries issues and the reform of the CFP. The conference in Lübeck was organized in collaboration with the Ecologic Institute.

The conference brought together leading experts from the German fisheries sector, scientific community and NGOs to discuss the CFP reform proposal before an audience German and other European journalists.

The overview of the European common fisheries policy, its history and future was presented by Dr. Markus Salomon (German Council of the environment) and Markus Knigge (Pew Environment Group). Moreover Mr Franz Lamplmair (European Commission) gave an update on the current reform process and an outlook on the next steps until its adoption. 

The scientific background on fisheries management was presented by Dr, Christopher Zimmermann (Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut) and Dr. Rainer Froese (GEOMAR, Helmholtz-­‐Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel).

Representatives of the fisheries sector were Dr. Matthias Keller (Federal Association of the German fish industry and fish wholesale e.V.) Dr. Uwe Richter (Chairman of the Association of German Hochseefischereien) and Claus Ubl (German fishing Association e.V.).

The NGOs were represented by Dr. Nina Wolff (German environmental aid association) and Karoline Schacht (WWF).

Rupert Crilly (New Economics Foundation) presented the economics of sustainable fisheries and the socio-economic costs of over-fishing.

As part of the conference, workshops were held on Maximum sustainable yield, fisheries subsidies and labelling of fish products.

On the second day of the conference an excursion to Fehmarn was organized for a meeting with fishermen of the Fischergemeinschaft Fehmarn and Küstenfischer Nord eG Heiligenhafen as well as with representative of the local initiative 'Fisch vom Kutter'.

Speakers' presentations are available on request.