Next spring, electric pulse fishing will be reconsidered within the European Union. The European Commission is responding to the new ICES report, which was discussed for the first time yesterday in the fisheries committee of the European Parliament.
Dutch MEP Peter van Dalen (Christian Union) calls this promise positive and describes electric pulse fishing as the Green Deal of fishing methods.
The chairman of the ICES advisory committee, Mark Dickey-Collas, explained the findings of the ICES research on pulse fishing to the EP fisheries committee. This ICES report shows that this fishing method causes significantly less harmful impact on ecology and the environment compared to the traditional beam trawl method.
During the evaluation of current fishing methods, pulse fishing will be discussed again. This will happen within six months. Van Dalen said: “That’s late, but better late than never. There is now a clear recommendation from a renowned international group of scientists. Pulse fishing stands head and shoulders above other fishing methods!”
The European Commission will present an advice before the summer of 2021, taking into account the positive report on pulse fishing from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). ICES conducted research on pulse fishing at the request of the Dutch government, which has banned the practice in the EU as of 1 July 2021.
The Hague is challenging the ban at the European Court of Justice. According to a spokesperson, it is not known when the matter will be addressed.