EU: MEPs approve new rules for fishing in the Mediterranean area

MEPs approve new rules for fishing in the Mediterranean area. New measures include rules on measuring catches by recreational fisheries, alternatives to landing points for the European eel, and the use of remotely operated vehicles in red coral areas. Committee on Fisheries MEPs validated a compromise achieved between Parliament and Council negotiators on 3 May 2023, on the reorganisation of rules for fishing in the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) Agreement area, which also includes the Black Sea. They approved the deal by unanimity. Parliament’s negotiating team was led by Ladislav Ilčić (ECR, Croatia). The new text, MEPs say, gives legal clarity, ensures predictability, and establishes common rules for EU fishers working in the area. Conservation and the European eel On the conservation of certain species, such as the critically-endangered European eel, it was agreed that EU member states would define landing points for better protection. Nevertheless, ...