The EU is subsidising illegal fishing

That’s the straight-forward message of this latest campaign video from Greenpeace, which highlights the fact that EU subsidy monies have found their way to fishing companies with a history of illegal activity. In one incidence, a Spanish company received €15 million between 20o2 and 2009, despite several of their crews being convicted for fishing without a license, misinformation or obstructing inspections.

Illegal fishing is a serious problem, because it makes it impossible to manage Europe’s falling fish stocks. It’s also a vast problem, in global as well as European waters. According to the Greenpeace investigation team, “up to 49 per cent of the global catch is illegal, unreported and unregulated, and this is one of the main reasons why our fisheries are in such rapid decline.”

Subsidising fishing fleets that harvest at unsustainable levels is bad enough. Paying taxpayer’s money to those who are known to be breaking the law is quite another. Take a minute or two to watch the video below, and sign the petition to the Fisheries Minister here.