common fisheries policy

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.

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.

Ariana Densham, Greenpeace Oceans Campaigner said: "If Farage and UKIP MEPs had spent less time in the boozer, and more time in the EU parliament, they would have noticed that the Common Fisheries Policy has been completely reformed. It is now the solution to many of the struggles facing local, sustainable fishermen. It is national governments failing to give a fair share of fishing quota to local fishermen that is the problem, not the EU.