How effective is the landing obligation in tackling the wasteful discarding of fish?
See the dull extent of the problem in this booklet.
The House of Lords will debate the coming calamity of the Landing Obligation on December 13th 2018. It might seem a little late in the day as full implementation of the LO will hit the statute books and full implementation come January the 1st, 2019. Happy New Year fishermen.
Below is just a small example that highlights the scale and severity of the situation - namely, Haddock, Sole and Cod in ICES Area 7
Written evidence can be submitted online using the form found here. The deadline is 11:59pm on Thursday 13 December 2018.
Lord Teverson, Chairman of the Committee, said:
“Reducing discards is vital to protecting the health of our oceans. Discarding is not only a waste of finite resource, as many fish do not survive, it also makes it difficult to accurately measure how many fish are actually caught. The landing obligation requires a shift in how we monitor and enforce fishing regulations but there is a lack of clarity within the industry over its implementation and how its requirements will be managed.
“The Committee want to understand the challenges that will need to be overcome, and potential solutions to those challenges. We would really encourage those with experience or interest in these issues to share their views with us.”