EU proposes overhaul of failing fisheries policy

Europe's fisheries chief called for an overhaul of the European Union's failing fisheries policies on Wednesday, and warned those EU countries that may seek to resist reform that business as usual is not an option. The European Commission has estimated 75 percent of EU stocks are currently overfished, and a third of the bloc's fleet will become commercially unviable in the long term without decisive action to tackle overfishing.
With the equivalent of 265,000 full-time workers employed in the EU fishing and processing industries, the sector wields considerable political power in some countries, which have opposed previous efforts by Brussels to reduce catches. "The Commission underlines that our current policy does not work anymore," Greek EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki told a news conference in Brussels to present her proposals.