The European ban on pulse fishing must be removed. That is the view of MEP Peter van Dalen (Christian Union). He bases this on a new scientific advisory.
A new scientific advisory from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) once again shows that electric pulse fishing has less impact on ecology and the environment than fishing with the traditional beam trawl. The European ban on pulse fishing is therefore unnecessary, asserts ICES, the leading international scientific organization in this field.
Netherlands requested this advice. Many Dutch fishermen made use of this pulse technique. The European Union banned pulse fishing last year because it was considered ecologically irresponsible.
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Van Dalen is vice-chair of the Fisheries Committee of the European Parliament. He said in a response: “In the EU, we make decisions about fisheries based on scientific studies. There is now a study from ICES on the pulse, which includes no less than 10 years of research. Pulse fishing performs very well ecologically and economically. The ban on pulse fishing must be lifted!”
Together with several Dutch fellow MEPs, Van Dalen is trying to get the issue back on the EU agenda through written questions to European Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius (Fisheries). Just over a year ago, a majority in the European Parliament agreed to a ban on pulse fishing. “The ICES report and advice provide good tools to reopen the discussion about the ban on pulse fishing. That is what we are going to do now.”