In a report published today under the title "Exporting Exploitation - How retired EU fishing vessels are devastating West African fish stocks and undermining the rights of local people", Greenpeace demanded that the EU stop exploiting the fishing grounds off the coast of Western Morocco, unless and until it can ensure that fish stocks are managed in a sustainable manner and that the fishery takes into account the wishes and benefits of the people of the territory.

 

It also urged that EU Member States to:

 

- Remove excess fishing capacity by scrapping or converting to non-fishing purposes those vessels that have the biggest impact in terms of overfishing and the destruction of marine habitats;

 

- Allocate access to fishing opportunities in a way that rewards fishermen who minimise the environmental impacts of fishing and that maximises the socio-economic benefits for local communities; and

 

- Prevent the transfer of excess fishing capacity to other regions.