EU nations set fish quota leaving environmentalists outraged

European Union nations have set fish catch quotas for next year in an attempt to protect fragile stocks and fishing fleets at the same time, but environmentalists claim they will protect neither

BRUSSELS -- European Union nations on Tuesday set fish catch quotas for next year in an attempt to protect fragile stocks and fishing fleets at the same time — leaving environmentalists claiming they will protect neither.

The traditional year-end bartering session between EU coastal nations to secure as many catch rights for their fishers for next year again often clashed with the advice of scientists to contain overfishing.

Even though some catches were reduced to safeguard the survival of species — like the one-third cut of sole totals in the Gulf of Biscay and some bans on targeted cod fishing — others were kept to guarantee the survival of threatening fishing communities.

The compromise result, said Slovene minister Joze Potgorsek who chaired the talks, “will allow us to maintain fish stocks at sustainable levels while also protecting the livelihoods of European fishing fleets.”