Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy: Response to European commission green paper (com (2009) 163)
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December 2009
The FDF broadly supports the vision for European Fisheries in 2020 set out in
the
Commission's Green Paper. Fisheries are a renewable resource with enormous
potential to contribute to future food security in a world where demand is
likely to
double by 2050 and where agriculture will face severe challenges from the
effects of
climate change and shortages of land, water and energy.
We therefore believe that CFP reform needs to look further ahead and at this
wider context. This means putting a corresponding future value on fish stocks
and
ensuring that they are responsibly managed with the aim of maximising long term
yields and as an integral part of the
marine ecosystems on which they depend. This will also have to be done in ways
which minimise wastage, save energy and generally promote efficient resource
use,
at sea and on land.
This will require a radical change of approach, taking account of the supply
chain as
a whole and the wider consumer interest, in addition to the needs of those who
currently earn their living directly from the exploitation of a common natural
resource.
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Last reviewed: 04 Jan 2010