Landing obligation in practice

Discarding

Landing obligation

Discard plans

Exceptions

By-catch provisions in closed areas

Minimum sizes

Landing obligation in practice

Since 2015 the landing obligation is being implemented on a gradual basis. Each fishery has its own specificities and differences which makes precise guidance difficult; a pelagic fishery in the Atlantic is not the same as a pelagic fishery in the Mediterranean Sea, for example. Vessel dimension, type of gear, sea basin, etc. are all factors to pay attention to while implementing the landing obligation.

Over the last few years, governments, scientific institutions, industry, fishermen and other stakeholders have worked to develop trials and solutions. Some examples of projects co-funded by the EU through pilot projects or specific programmes and funds such as the EFF, Life+, etc. are: The English Discard Ban Trial,  DisCatch,  EcoFishMan.

EU countries have also supported a number of different projects such as Celselect: Celtique sélectivité by France Filière Pêche or industry-led initiatives such as Groundbreaking fishing gear selectivity trials lead by Seafish. 

Other examples of projects, trials or research on the landing obligation:

ShowDISCARDLESS   -  Strategies for the gradual elimination of discards in European fisheries

ShowMINOUW - Science, technology and society initiative to minimize unwanted catches in European fisheries

ShowLIFE iSEAS - Knowledge-Based Innovative Solutions to Enhance Adding-Value Mechanisms towards Healthy and Sustainable EU Fisheries

ShowLANDMED - Implications of the implementation of the Landing Obligation provisions in small pelagic fisheries in the Mediterranean

ShowBE-FAIR - Benign and environmentally friendly fish processing practices to provide added value and innovative solutions for a responsible and sustainable management of fisheries

ShowFAROS - Integral Networking of Fishing Sector Actors to Organize a Responsible, Optimal and Sustainable Exploitation of Marine Resources

ShowFISHFERMPLUS - Added-value bioprocessing for FISH raw materials via low-cost FERMentation technologies delivering a PLUS in the sustainable production, consumer safety and quality of highly sensitive fish products

ShowBIOTECMAR - Biotechnological exploitation of marine products and byproducts

HideCOFASP - Research Projects' Web-Mapping Application

• 7th Framework Programme
• 2003 -2013
• DATABASE
• http://www.projectsdatabase.cofasp.eu/

That is database of fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing projects. It was created to directly address actions envisaged within that matter as part of the Europe 2020 strategy which recognises bioeconomy as an important part of the strategy.

HideDAG - The Discard Action Group

• Seafish
• Since 2009
• Forum
• http://www.seafish.org/responsible-sourcing/discussion-forums/the-discard-action-group  

The Discard Action Group is a forum for the discussion of industry-wide problems relating to discards. It is an example on an integrated, interdisciplinary, co-operative approach to the issue, and is the only UK cross-industry group addressing the discards issue from all perspectives. It involves everyone NGOs, policy-makers, fishery managers, fishers, science and supply chains –supermarkets and processors.

ShowGENESYS - Use of By-products as System Innovation

ShowPSEREDES - Improved selectivity and choice of fishing gear to reduce discards

ShowFLATFISHSUR - How many flatfish survive after being discarded?

ShowV - The Lobster V-Notching Conservation Method

ShowBADMINTON - Bycatch And Discards: Management Indicators, Trends and locatiON

ShowMARMED - Development of innovating biomedical products from marine resources valorisation

ShowSOCIOEC - Socioeconomic effects of management measures of the CFP

ShowScottish Catch Quota Scheme Management using Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM)

ShowThe Discard Ban and its impact on the MSY objective of fisheries

Projects can also be found via the following links:

Project financed by the European Union

Studies by the European Parliament

• Eg. The discard Ban and its impact on the MSY Objective on FisheriesSearch for available translations of the preceding link•••

Projects financed by the European Commission

• DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MARE)
  • Eg  Study on the implementation of the landing obligation in the Black Sea
• DG Research and Innovation (RTD)         
  • Eg  Improving food security by reducing post harvest losses in the fisheries sector (Securefish)
• DG Environment (ENV)
  • Eg   Benign and environmentally friendly fish processing practices to provide added value and innovative solutions for a responsible and sustainable management of fisheries (Be-Fair)
• DG Regional and Urban Policy (REGIO)              
  • Eg   Exploiting marine by-products across the Atlantic Region (Biotecmar)