The EU Court Supports Fishing Bans in the Atlantic Challenged by Spain

The General Court of the European Union (GCEU) today dismissed several appeals filed by Spain and Galician and Asturian fishermen. The appeals were directed against the European Commission's designation of areas to be protected in Spain, considering that vulnerable marine ecosystems exist or are likely to exist. In a ruling published this Wednesday, the court, based in Luxembourg, noted that "the classification of an area where vulnerable marine ecosystems are known to exist or are likely to exist is based on the verified or possible presence of protected species and on the characteristics of the ecosystem itself," stated the court's press service. The GCEU understands that this "guarantees their protection against the significant adverse effects of bottom fishing gear in general". It adds that the Community Executive was not obliged when designating these areas in 2022 to "assess the fragility of ecosystems" according to each type of fishing gear used by the plaintiffs or to ...