EU / CFP: A Fisheries Policy for the Future

Three out of four fish stocks in the European Union are overexploited. If people don't act, they will lose one fish stock after another, with a possible chain reaction for the ecosystem that is hard to predict. If the author were a banker he would say their fish stocks are underperforming assets. He wants instead a capital consisting of healthier fish stocks giving rich interests, in the form of landings, to their fishing industry. To achieve this, the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) must undergo deep reform. They can keep fishing. But they have to manage each fish stock in such a way that they maximise financial gains while still keeping the stock sustainable. This reform concerns everybody: fishermen, coastal populations, retailers, consumers and taxpayers. He is sure that together they can make the CFP fit for today's -- and tomorrow's -- environmental and economic challenges.