Outgoing Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality Carola Schouten does not oppose the mandatory installation of cameras on certain fishing vessels to monitor fisheries at sea. According to her, a majority of the 27 EU countries are leaning towards implementing camera surveillance, much to the displeasure of the fishing sector.
The European Parliament believes that better rules are necessary for monitoring fish catches. Fishing vessels caught violating catch quotas and evading the existing ‘landing obligation’ must be required to install camera surveillance in their working spaces.
The European Parliament also holds that fishing vessels should be equipped with GPS to permanently monitor their location. Similar to the farm-to-fork principle for food, the origin of fish must also be clear to consumers.
Cameras can control the quantities of fish coming from the nets and check whether small undersized fish are secretly being thrown back into the sea. Researchers say the existing ‘landing obligation,’ in place for several years, is still widely evaded.
Throwing back undersized fish (which yield less money) was banned in 2016 with the introduction of the so-called landing obligation, but according to the European Commission’s official fisheries advisory body, it is still happening on a large scale.
MEP Peter van Dalen (Christian Union) called the camera obligation a completely wrong signal from the EU to the fishermen. “It indicates that most MEPs still distrust the fishermen,” Van Dalen said in response.
The CDA and SGP parties expressed disappointment about the looming measure. “This is a slap in the face for Dutch fishermen,” said MEP Annie Schreijer (CDA). The SGP described it as a “witch hunt” and “Big Brother on board.”
On the other hand, Anja Hazekamp (Party for the Animals) calls for better control over bycatch of vulnerable species, arguing this is not only in the interest of fish populations but ultimately also in the interest of the fishing sector itself.