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Tuesday 17 December 2013

Can new EU legislation protect fish stocks?

Karl Mathieson is doing his best for the Guardian to cover the EU Fisheries Council as they hammer out this year's quota figures for over 120 species currently subject to a total allowable catch (TAC) set within the framework of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)

Here's an extract fron the events so far with a major contribution from Callum Roberts attempting to focus on new rules regarding discards:

LIVE! European diplomats meet in Brussels to decide Europe's 2014 fishing quotas, Karl Mathiesen, with your help, investigates whether recent reforms can create a sustainable fishing industry.

Post your views in the comments below, email karl.mathiesen.freelance@guardian.co.uk or tweet @karlmathiesen

11.35am GMT Scientific reaction

Callum Roberts is a marine conservation biologist at the University of York. He tells me that while many aspects of the reformed CFP look good on paper, there are significant challenges for the implementation and policing of the new regime.

He also says that many species will not benefit from simply reducing catch limits. Without marine protected areas, many species will not have safe breeding grounds and zones from which they can replenish their populations. MPAs are not mandatory under the CFP.

Roberts also says that countries are in fact not tied to scientific advice. I have contacted him for more detail on this because he seems to differ from the assessment of Liane Veitch from Client Earth.

Full story LIVE from the Guardian here: