WWF Manifesto for the review of theEU Common Fisheries Policy

Put environment atthe heart of Europeanfisheries policy

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Throughout the European Union (EU)fish stocks are in crisis. Once thoughtof as a never ending supply, fish arebecoming scarce. In fact, almosttwo-thirds of commercial fish stocksare over-exploited. Some are even onthe verge of commercial extinction.In the Alboran Sea, in the westernMediterranean, the once wealthyanchovy fishery completely collapsedin the mid-1980s. The stock neverrecovered. The recent collapse of thecod stock in the North Sea has led toa short-term closure of the fishery andhas illustrated the need for recoveryplans and long-term managementmeasures. Cod and chips, pickledherring and bacalhao (salt cod) maynot be familiar national dishes forfuture generations.

And not only fish are in crisis. Forexample, some species of marinemammals, seabirds and turtles aswell as important habitats havealso been adversely affected. Thedwindling fish stocks have led todeclining coastal communities, thatonce thrived on the abundance of fishin the oceans. Life is changing, not onlyfor commercial fishers, but also foranglers, seafood lovers and others whoappreciate the ocean.

A new opportunity

Long-term mismanagement of ourfish resources has put environment,fish stocks and fishing communitiesat risk. Even the European Commission,responsible for administering the EU’sCommon Fisheries Policy (CFP),recognises in its Green Paper onthe future of the CFP that thesituation cannot continue.

“Red mullet and red sea bream used to be among the

most common fish in my daily catch and are now rare

inhabitants of our waters. I also used to get one or

two big groupers every day. Today, a big dusky grouper

provokes a discussion between us fishermen.

These days, I need to go to sea every day and use

longer trammel nets and long lines in order to feed

my family. I am 37 years old and I wonder whether I

will be able to keep fishing in the future.”

Nikos Matsios,

small scale fisherman, Greece

heart of Put environment

at the

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A mid-term review of the CFP in 1991highlighted a number of fundamentalproblems. Inadequate quota systems,poor monitoring and enforcement, and inappropriate allocations ofsubsidies have all led to overfishing.Today, ten years later, those sameissues are in more urgent need ofsolutions than ever.

The 20-year old fisheries policy isnow under review and will be openfor debate until the end of 2002.The outcome will determine thefuture of our fish stocks, many othermarine species and the wider marineenvironment, as well as the viabilityof many fishing communities aroundEurope. We have a one in ten yearsopportunity to ensure that the newpolicy will lead to sustainable andresponsible fishing.

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We have a one

in ten years

opportunity to

ensure that

the new policy

will lead to

sustainable and

responsible fishing.

Managing Europe’s diverse marineresources is a complex task andreversing the long decline of fishstocks will require changes to fisheriespolicy at all levels (local, national andinternational). All parts of the CFP haveto work together to achieve sustainablemanagement of resources. There isalso a need for greater coherencebetween the different EU policies thataim to manage the marine resourcesand protect the wider environment.

To achieve this, both the Commissionand the Member States must putenvironmental protection and long-term resource sustainability at theheart of the policy making process,whilst recognising that social andeconomic objectives are also integralto sustainable development.

The EU CommonFisheries Policy

The CFP was created to managethe fisheries sector in the EU.It is a policy area where the EUhas exclusive competence. Aswell as stock management, theobjectives of the CFP coversocio-economic aspects. Itconsists of four policy strands:

1) conservation and technical measures,

2) structural policy,3) market organisation and4) external policy.

European fisheries policy

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What’s the problem?

Compared to other activities that takeplace in the sea, fishing has perhapsthe most significant impact on themarine environment. The constantremoval of a large component of theecosystem affects other species andthe marine environment as a whole.

1. Bigger boats, fewer fishThe technological development inthe fisheries sector has in principlemade it possible to find every lastshoal of fish. Sonar fish finders,hydraulic gear, spotter planes andsatellite communication systemshave all made fishing more effectiveand led to increasing fishing effort.Fishermen now fish in areas wherethey could not go before. As a result,fish have become more vulnerable tocommercial extinction.

The technological developmentis partly fuelled by badly targetedsubsidies, leading to more, biggerand better boats, which put enormouspressure not only on fish stocks buton the entire marine ecosystem.

The European fleet is estimated tobe 40 per cent over capacity and foryears the total investment in andeffectiveness of gear have exceededwhat is necessary to catch theavailable fish. Perversely, fundssupplied by the European Union andMember States continue to contributeto this development.

Fishing is subsidised

Through grants, loans, taxexemptions and other supportprogrammes, taxpayerssubsidise the commercialfishing industry – an industrythat essentially is using a naturalresource for free. Evenoverfished fisheries receivesubsidies. We need to remindour decision-makers that theyhave a responsibility to protectand restore our public resource– the marine environment – aswell as a responsibility to useour money in a sensible andsustainable way.

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The European Union has attemptedto match fleet capacity and fishingopportunities throughdecommissioning programmes,but better technology has effectivelyeliminated or even reversed any effectsof such attempts. Instead of a planned15 per cent cut in capacity, the reallevel is likely to have increased(Commission report on MAGP IV,2000). By the end of 2002, theCommission estimates that a 5 percent cut will have been reached.

The current situation has led toan export of fishing capacity to thewaters of countries outside of theEuropean Union, particularlydeveloping states in West Africa. Thisis done through either subsidisedfisheries agreements negotiated bythe European Commission on behalfof the EU, or through individualarrangements negotiated by theindustry itself. In some cases, suchas the Argentina hake fishery, theseagreements have contributed to stockcollapses in non-EU waters.

The constant removal of a large component

of the ecosystem affects other species

and the marine environment as a whole.

Deep-water fish like orangeroughy live for many decadesand do not breed until theyare 34-37 years old. Thismakes them especiallyvulnerable to overfishing.

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Deep-sea trawling techniquesdeveloped in search of increasinglyelusive stocks can now fish attwo kilometres below the surface.At this depth, trawlers are catchingspecies largely unknown to science.

There are specific concerns relatedto deep-water fisheries. Some ofthe fish caught at these permanentlydark depths are more than 80 yearsold. They live in an environmentof great pressure where change andgrowth is extremely slow. Thismakes them especially vulnerableto alterations in their populations.

In 2000, the International Councilfor the Exploration of the Sea(ICES) report stated that “mostexploited deep-water species are, atpresent, considered to be harvestedoutside safe biological limits.” They

recommended immediate catchreductions. For ten deep-waterspecies the advice given rangedfrom 30 per cent reduction in fishingeffort to a closure of the fishery.Despite this advice and seriouswarnings from other fisheriesscientists, deep-water fisherieshave remained largely unregulated.

It is time deep-water speciesbecome a regulated resource.Their management should begoverned by the application ofthe precautionary approach. Arestrictive licensing system woulddrastically reduce fishing effort, andmeasures such as area closures andgear restrictions should be put touse. Until appropriate actions havebeen agreed, all fishing on deep-water species should be suspended.

Deep-sea fisheries

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A 1999 survey (OSPAR, 2000) in the

North-East Atlantic showed that

40 of the 60 main commercial fish

stocks were “outside safe biological limits”

2. Overcapacity leadsto overfishingDespite ever improving fishingtechnology and fleets covering greaterdistances, catches are declining allover Europe, reflecting a worldwidepattern. A 1999 survey (OSPAR, 2000)in the North-East Atlantic showed that40 of the 60 main commercial fishstocks were “outside safe biologicallimits”. In other words, they are heavilyoverfished. Not only well-knownspecies such as cod, bluefin tuna,sole and hake are affected, but alsomonkfish, megrim, common skateand great spotted catfish. Manyspecies targeted in the Mediterraneanare also overexploited, for examplehake, bluefin tuna, red mullet andNorway lobster.

When more fish are taken from apopulation than can be replacedthrough natural reproduction, it is saidto be overfished. The situation maybe aggravated by pollutants, climatechange and habitat loss that leads toa higher natural mortality or a lowerrecruitment – less juveniles surviveuntil they are old enough to breed.

It is far better to prevent overfishingthan to react to it after it has alreadyhappened. The latter is always costly,for the environment as well as forfishermen. And for regions dependenton the fishing industry, the socialconsequences of stock collapsescan be disastrous.

3. Bycatch and discardsSpecies that are not targeted bythe fishery, such as marine mammals,seabirds, turtles or other fish speciesmay also be unintentionally caughtin fishing gear. In addition, the catchcommonly contains individuals of thetarget species that are too small tofetch a reasonable price on the marketor are below the legal minimum landingsizes. Virtually all fisheries have somelevel of bycatch, and may thereforealter the populations of other species.

Management by quotas

Commercially important fishspecies are managed by a quotasystem, with upper catch limitscalled total allowable catches(TACs). Each year theEuropean Commission makesproposals forTACs basedlargely onscientific advice.These are thensubjected to politicalbargaining by EU FisheriesMinisters, and usually end upbeing higher than the scientificrecommendations. The TACsare set for large areas, takinglittle account of local variationsin the abundance of stocks orthe scale and type of fishing.In 2000, the actual catches ofsome species did not even fillthe set quota because fishermensimply could not find enoughfish. For example, fishermencaught only 70 per cent ofthe North Sea TAC for cod.In 2001, EU Fisheries Ministers“slashed” the North Sea codquota by 45 per cent, butcompared to previous year’scatches the real cut was ineffect only 5 per cent. Thescientific advice suggested“zero catch levels”.

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Accidentally caught juveniles arealso thrown back into the sea, andthe survival rates are very low. Thisis a great problem, since it means thatfish which could have matured andbeen fished later are unnecessarilykilled. It also greatly reduces survivalto breeding age and therefore affectsreproduction. In the North Sea, upto 90 per cent of the juvenile codexpected to reach maturity in 1996were caught and discarded. In thenorthern Tyrrhenian Sea trawlingfishery (between the Italian west coastand Corsica), up to 34 per cent of thehake, 41 per cent of the forkbeard and39 per cent of the poor cod arediscarded (Sartor et al., 1999).

Under the current fisheries policy,bycatch has been dealt with throughregulating mesh sizes. Minimum meshsizes for nets were introduced withthe hope of decreasing under-agecatches by allowing smaller fish toescape. This works to some degree,but once a net starts to fill the meshclogs with larger fish, preventingany escape.

Slow-breeding animals with alimited geographical range areparticularly vulnerable, and maybecome locally extinct. The commonskate for example, which used to becommon in the North Sea, has nowalmost disappeared. Many sharkspecies have also declined sharply.

In the Mediterranean, historical datafrom bottom trawl surveys and landingstatistics in the Gulf of Lions point toa sharp decline in sharks, skates andrays since the 1960s (Aldebert, 1997).

Bycatch is mainly a problem relatedto so-called “non-selective” geartypes, such as trawls, that catchalmost everything in their path.In the trawl fishery for Norway lobsteralong the Swedish west coast, forexample, three quarters of the catchis unwanted (Olsson & Nellbring, 1996).The bycatch is a mix of undersizedNorway lobster, groundfish such ascod, hake, saithe and haddock andother organisms like starfish, crabs,sea cucumbers, anemones and dead-man’s-hand. Most of it is thrownback to sea dead or dying. The lowselectivity of trawls is also highlightedby the fact that deep-sea trawlingfisheries in the NW Mediterraneancapture up to 95 different species,of which 89 are discarded (Soriano& Sánchez-Lizaso, 2000).

Harbour porpoises are often caughtin passive fishing gear like drift netsor bottom-set gillnets. In the North,Baltic and Celtic seas, up to 10,000harbour porpoises are caught infishing gear every year. In theBaltic Sea they have virtuallydisappeared, with fishing activitiesthreatening to wipe out the lastremnant of this unique population.

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In the Mediterranean, over 60,000turtles are caught in fishing gear everyyear (Lee & Poland, 1998)

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especially in the Mediterranean,seagrass beds – a habitat protectedunder the EU Habitats Directive –are destroyed by fishing activities.A medium size trawler can destroy upto 363,000 Posidonia shoots per hour(Martín et al.,1997).

Fish stocks are also suffering fromhabitat degradation caused by otherhuman activities. Many importantinshore areas that provide nurserygrounds for juveniles and larvaehave been destroyed by, forexample, coastal development,pollution, sewage discharge andagricultural run-off. The combinationof habitat loss and high fishingpressure is enough to cause a collapsein many fisheries.

4. Effects on the widermarine environmentBycatch is not the only problem.Fishing activities and fishing gearalso affect the wider marineenvironment. Overfishing resultsin overall degradation of the marineecosystem, both in terms of structureand functionality. The removal of largequantities of predator and prey speciesreverberates throughout the foodweb and affects interdependentpopulations. Declining numbersof important prey species in theNorth Sea, such as sandeel andNorway pout, have affectedpredatory fish species, seabirdsand marine mammals.

Bottom trawling with weights,bobs and nets dragging along theseabed can devastate marine habitats.With the current fishing intensity, someareas of the seabed, for example inthe North Sea, are swept bare ofresident species more than threetimes a year. In many coastal areas,

Cold water coral reefs, such as theDarwin Mound coral reefs off theWest Coast of Scotland, which areparticularly valuable habitats thatprovide shelter and food for anamazing number of fish and otheranimals, are also being damagedby trawling.

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The new fisheries management systemalso needs to be flexible enough torespond to environmental changesand improvements in knowledge andinformation. For example, a quotasystem fixed to single species in aspecific region will not be adequateif species composition changesbecause of climate change.

Therefore the new CFP should aim tolink and integrate the different policiesand legislation that protect the widermarine environment and managehuman activities.

Putting it right

The current state of European fishstocks and the marine environmentcalls for a radical and urgent changein management. WWF believes thatunless the EU treats the healthof the fish stocks and the marineenvironment as the single mostimportant priority for the CFP, theindustry dependent on these resourceswill collapse. For example, catchesof cod, once supporting tens ofthousands of fishermen in the EU,have crashed to levels of just 10 percent of those recorded in the 1970s.

The way to recovery will require acombination of actions that will differaccording to regional characteristicsand threats. Marine biodiversity,seabed habitats, the type of fishingmethods preferred by the fishingindustry and other environmentalimpacts vary across the EU andeven within Member States.

There is no shortage of conservationtools, including bigger mesh sizes, acomprehensive system of no-takezones (fishing-free zones) to protectspawning and nursery grounds, andgear modifications to allow juvenilesand non-target species to escape.However, measures used must beadapted to local requirements.

The current state of

European fish

stocks and the

marine environment

calls for a radical

and urgent change

in management.

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The long-term implications of removinglarge quantities of fish from the foodweb are poorly understood, but thereis evidence to suggest that it altersthe structure and balance of marinelife. In addition, fish stocks are underthreat from other human activities.In order to retain a healthy ecosystemwith abundant fish stocks, it isnecessary to consider all parts ofthe ecosystem and strive to minimisethe effects of all human activities onthe wider marine environment.

Rather than the traditional single-species approach to managingfish stocks, the EU should take theinteraction of dependent stocks andspecies into consideration. To dealwith the higher uncertainty inherentin complex systems, any ecosystem-based management must apply theprecautionary approach, be adaptiveand use a range of different toolssuitable to the particular region andsituation. For biodiversity, as well asfrom a socio-economic point of view,the inshore area and coastal shelf areof particular importance. Tools suitablefor the implementation of ecosystem-based management include recoveryplans, use of no-take zones (marineprotected areas), technical measuressuch as selective gear and the use ofEnvironmental Impact Assessments.

Market incentives can also bean important component of theecosystem-based approach tofisheries management. Ecolabellingschemes, like the Marine StewardshipCouncil, are market mechanismscreated to support and encourageresponsible fishing. They also make itpossible for consumers to affect fishingpractices through their purchases.

The ecosystem approach shouldbe adopted at all levels ofdecision-making under the CFP,including decisions concerningfleet policy, subsidies, marketing andprocessing and external relations. Itsimplementation should also be in linewith environmental and internationalagreements and legislation.

Adopting ecosystem-basedmanagement would require anintegrated and regionalised approach,allowing measures to be devolved tothe most suitable level. With a moreregionalised management structure,steps to increase stakeholderinvolvement in the decision-makingprocess should be taken.

A precautionary and adaptivemanagement approach also allowsreadjustments depending on stockchanges and fishing patternsthroughout the year.

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WWF key recommendations

1. Practical implementation ofecosystem-based managementand the precautionary principleAn ecosystem-based managementapproach, taking the wider implicationsof fisheries for the marine environmentinto account, should be fundamentalto EU fisheries policy. It is alreadyembodied in the objectivesof the UN Convention on BiologicalDiversity, the UN Agreement onStraddling Stocks and MigratorySpecies and the FAO Code of Conductfor Responsible Fisheries.

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2. Immediate creation ofrecovery plans for stocksoutside safe biological limitsComprehensive long-term recoveryplans should be put into place for allfish stocks that have fallen below safebiological levels. The recovery plansshould include a package of measuressuch as temporary area closures,bigger mesh sizes that allow juvenilefish to escape, fishing free zones, time-limited lay-up schemes anddecommissioning for surplus fishing capacity.

To secure long-term sustainability,preagreed measures that comeinto force if a stock falls below a certainlevel should be decided upon for allother fish stocks.

If cod are caught before they have hadadequate time to grow, the population’scapacity to reproduce will decrease.In general, a smaller fish producesfewer eggs. It takes more than 37 youngfemale cod (3–5 years old) to producethe 15 million eggs that a single largefemale may produce.

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Adopting ecosystem-based management

would require an integrated and

regionalised approach, allowing measures

to be devolved to the most suitable level.

The precautionaryapproach

The precautionary principle wasformulated in response to thefact that difficult decisionsare often rejected, delayed orwatered down on the groundsof scientific uncertainty. It callsfor prudent, proactive actionwherever there is scientificuncertainty and its applicationis called “the precautionaryapproach”. When applied tofisheries, precautionary limitand target reference pointsshould be set for each of thecommercial stocks, as wellas for non-target speciesaccidentally trapped in netsor on lines.

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3. Putting an end to overcapacityThe size of the European fleet mustbe adapted to the available resources,both within European waters andwherever European fishing fleetsare active. The current level ofovercapacity is the root cause ofmany of the problems facing ourmarine environment. Unless actionsare taken to reduce capacity, othermeasures will not be effective enoughto reverse the degradation of stocksand the marine environment.

Improved control and enforcementare often proposed as the principalresponse to the existing overcapacity.However, these actions alonehave proved to be insufficient. In fact,overcapacity makes controland enforcement more costly andmore difficult. A reformed CFPshould concentrate on reducingfleet capacity.

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A new transparent, long-term fleetplan for the control of fishing capacityshould include intermediate targetsfor decommissioning fishing boatsprioritising ecological, economic andsocial needs. It should aim for a fleetsize appropriate for exploitation offish resources that are sustainablymanaged, meaning that capacityshould not be adapted to eitheroverfished or booming fish stocksbut to levels that can be expectedunder a sustainable managementprogramme. For segments of the fleetthat are currently oversized becauseof fish stocks close to collapse, suchas cod in the North Sea, compensationschemes during the time of fishstock recovery might be considered.However, lay-up schemes mustnot be used to avoid necessarycapacity reduction.

So far, technological advances haveundermined all plans to reducecapacity. Any future attempts to reducecapacity must therefore specificallytake this so called technological creepinto account. In addition, a new long-term fleet plan ought to limit thenumber of vessels allowed to fish inany given area. This would allowprotection of inshore fleets, wherevessels often are too small to fishoffshore. Finally, reducing capacityin European waters should not leadto an export of this overcapacity tothe waters of third countries, the highseas or unregulated European waters.

Putting an end to Europeanovercapacity is crucial to the futureof the industry and any attempts toachieve economic and biologicalviability in the fishing sector.

Unless actions are taken

to reduce capacity, other measures

will not be effective enough to

reverse the degradation of stocks and

the marine environment.

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4. Reduce and reform subsidiesThe European fisheries sectorcontinues to be heavily subsidisedby the EU and its Member States.In 1997, the EU fisheries sectorreceived approximately 1.3 billion Euro,according to an OECD report. Despitethe obvious failure to manage fishresources, much more of this is spenton encouraging the sector to expandand become more efficient than onreducing excess capacity orsupporting measures to minimiseimpact on the marine environment.Subsidies therefore contribute to thecurrent fisheries crisis, by underwritingoverfishing. This has got to end.

Firstly, all subsidies that contributeto overcapacity in the fleet must bestopped. Secondly, the EU shouldreform the current subsidies to targetenvironmental and social issues withpayments tailored to regional and localneeds. This way, subsidies can betargeted to support a reform of thesector, for example implementationof more sustainable fishing practices.

Accurate data is essential formaking good policy decisions.Unfortunately, comprehensiveinformation on subsidies is hardto obtain in many Member States.Measures to increase transparencyand accountability must be taken.The impact of subsidies should alsobe evaluated on a regular basis tofacilitate the development of subsidiesdesigned to support sustainable,long-term fisheries management.

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The question of the need forinternational controls on fishingsubsidies has been raised in a varietyof international fora, most notably theWorld Trade Organisation (WTO). TheEU should support, and not oppose,the initiation of negotiations at theWTO towards new, binding andeffective multilateral disciplines onfishing subsidies.W

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5. Fair and sustainablefisheries agreementsAs a signatory to a number ofinternational agreements, such asthe UN Convention on Biodiversityand UN Fish Stocks Agreement, theEU also has an obligation to ensurethat its fleet is operating sustainablyoutside the waters of Member States.This is not always the case withthe EC’s fisheries agreementswith third countries, especiallydeveloping West African and LatinAmerican states.

A number of these agreements haveproved incompatible with the EU’sdevelopment and environmentpolicies, with some resulting inoverexploitation of resources andothers causing competition withlocal artisanal fleets. In addition, asubstantial share of the EU fisheriesbudget (28,5 per cent or 276 millionEuro in 2000) is paid to third countriesfor the right to fish in their waters -a significant subsidy to vessel ownersfishing in these waters.

A protocol for the negotiation ofinternational agreements is needed.It should be based on internationalstandards for conservation andresponsible fisheries such as theUN Fish Stocks Agreement and theFAO Code of Conduct. WWF believesthat fisheries agreements should onlybe negotiated when there is a clearand scientifically verified surplus ofstocks. Agreements should only besigned when there is a long-termmanagement plan in place. Somekey principles should be followed:effective monitoring, control andsurveillance of fishing activities andtheir impacts and the interests ofsmall-scale artisanal fishers shouldbe considered. Environmental ImpactAssessments should be carried outprior to drawing up new fisheriesagreements or renewing existingones. Flag states should also beheld accountable and ensure thatpolicies extend to their citizensoperating outside EU waters. Inparticular, the EU should support andassist third countries in their efforts toachieve conservation of biodiversityand sustainable use of resources.

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WWF is not asking for anything new -

just that the people responsible for our

fish resources and the marine

environment put the fundamental concepts

of the EC Treaty into practice.

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6. Increase stakeholderinvolvementThe decision-making process in thefisheries sector has barely changedin two decades. It still operates ina top-down, species by speciesapproach, with hardly any integrationof environmental considerations intopolicy-making. Nor does it allowfishermen, the industry or otherinterested stakeholders to getdirectly involved in the decision-making processes. WWF is callingfor a more integrated approach tofisheries management, with increasedstakeholder participation in thedecision-making process and morepublic debate on fisheries issues.

Why now?

The reform of the CFP offers a onein ten years opportunity to tackleunsustainable fishing in Europe. While there are still gaps in scientificknowledge, the EU and its MemberStates should not use them, as theyhave in the past, to permit excessivefishing effort. The main challenge tothe management of fisheries is not thescientific question marks that remainover fish stocks, but the politicalintransigence that prevents proactivemanagement measures.

While there is no single solution tothe complex problems, it must beremembered that the EC Treatyrequires action to begin repairing thedamage. Article 6 of the Treaty states:

“Environmental protection

requirements must be integrated

into the definition and implementation

of the Community policies and

activities…, in particular with

a view to promoting

sustainable development.”

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So, in fact, WWF is not asking foranything new - just that the peopleresponsible for our fish resourcesand the marine environment put thefundamental concepts of the EC Treatyinto practice before it is too late.

European Ministers must seize thisopportunity to reform the currentinadequacies of the Common FisheriesPolicy and secure the long-term futureof fish populations and the widermarine environment, as well as thefishermen who depend on them.

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trawl fishery of the northern Tyrrhenian Sea. Biologia Marina

Mediterranea 6: 605-608.

Soriano, S. & Sánchez-Lizaso, J.L. (2000). Discards of the

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Mediterranean). 6th Mediterranean Symposium on

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October 2000. Book of abstracts, p 73.

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WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s naturalenvironment and to build a future in which humans live in harmonywith nature, by:– conserving the world’s biological diversity– ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable– promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

Take action to save our oceans – visit: www.panda.org

This policy document was developed bythe WWF European Fisheries Working Groupand Indrani Lutchman, and written by NikiSporrong, WWF Fisheries Policy Officer.

For more information, contact:

WWF European Policy OfficeJulie Cator,European Fisheries CoordinatorAvenue de Tervuren 36, Box 121040 BrusselsBelgiumTel: +32 2 743 8807Fax: +32 2 743 8819E-mail:Jcator@wwfepo.orgwww.panda.org/epo

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izkan, Fishing boat: W

WF-C

anon/Ed

ward

Parker, M

arket stall: WW

F-Canon/M

ichèle Dép

raz