Source: European Parliament
Priority question for written answer P-001394/2025/rev.1
to the Commission
Rule 144
Emma Fourreau (The Left)
Evidence presented at Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) compliance committee meetings shows that, in 2022 and 2023, EU-flagged vessels did not follow IOTC recommendations on the design of fish aggregating devices (FADs), which have an adverse impact on biodiversity and the marine environment. Some FADs get tangled, are not biodegradable or are not marked.
What is more, at an April 2024 IOTC meeting, the European Union said that there was not sufficient scientific evidence to support a 72-day closure period or to cut the number of FADs in use.
The European Union is obligated to act in line with the ‘precautionary principle’, as established in the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement and the common fisheries policy.
- 1.Has the Commission checked if these vessels are in line with IOTC recommendations on FADs? If so, are the results public?
- 2.Why is the Commission breaching the precautionary principle when it comes to closure periods and cutting the number of FADs?
Submitted: 4.4.2025