CFP

In 2015, Greenpeace UK took the Government to court on the basis that it was not implementing Article 17 of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which requires member states to allocate quota according to transparent and objective criteria along environmental, social and economic lines.

Commenting ahead of the session, Greenpeace UK oceans campaigner Alix Foster Vander Elst said:

‘It’s no secret that small-scale fishermen have been left cheated and neglected by the current quota system. But while George Eustice has held up leaving the EU as a magic pill to cure the fishing industry, it was his department which gave almost two-thirds of fishing quota to just three companies, leaving small-scale fishermen struggling.

Greenpeace UK’s Executive Director, John Sauven, said:

“Britain is in flux. But in the midst of such uncertainty the Government must come clean about whether it will safeguard environmental protections which have taken decades to develop. From science-led fishing quotas, to the protection of wildlife and habitats and sustainable farming – the Government must commit to not bartering away policies that promote healthier lifestyles, create jobs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Christina S, a 72-metre-long pelagic trawler, is one of two large vessels meant to be the showstoppers in a river protest organised by Scottish skippers heading towards Westminster this morning to call for the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.  

Following a recent judicial review which saw Greenpeace challenge the UK Government over its distribution of fishing quota, Mrs Justice Andrews DBE has ruled in the Government’s favour.

Responding to the verdict, Greenpeace UK’s Head of Oceans, Will McCallum, said:

‘Low-impact fishing boats are the lifeblood of the UK’s fishing industry. They make up the vast majority of our fleet – but the Government’s only giving them the crumbs off the table. That’s why we launched this legal challenge.

Greenpeace is arguing that the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has failed to implement Article 17 of the EU’s reformed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which emphasises transparency and environmental, social and economic criteria in the allocation of fishing quota.