NGOs call on you to set sustainable, ecosystem-based fishing limits for 2024

The document is a formal letter from a group of NGOs to the European Commission and the UK Government calling for sustainable, ecosystem-based fishing limits for 2024. The authors argue that current catch limits often ignore scientific advice, undermining biodiversity and the capacity of marine life to mitigate climate change. They demand that limits be set at or below the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) advice, the adoption of a precautionary approach for mixed fisheries and forage fish, the elimination of bycatch and discards through remote electronic monitoring, and increased transparency in decision-making.

• The NGOs assert that the EU and UK have failed to meet international deadlines, including those set by the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 and the Convention on Biodiversity, which required sustainable fishing by 2020.
• Current fishing limits in the Northeast Atlantic are frequently unsustainable; only 40% of 2023 catch limits involving the UK followed scientific advice, and 26% of fully assessed stocks remain overfished.
• Overfishing and destructive fishing practices are identified as the primary drivers of marine biodiversity loss over the last 40 years, which reduces the ability of wildlife to withstand and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
• The NGOs recommend that catch limits be set below the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) single-stock advice for forage fish and more abundant stocks in mixed fisheries to protect vulnerable species and ecosystem food supplies.
• To ensure accountability and eliminate bycatch, the authors call for the implementation of remote electronic monitoring (REM) using cameras and onboard observer coverage.

APA

ClientEarth (2023). NGOs call on you to set sustainable, ecosystem-based fishing limits for 2024. https://www.clientearth.org/media/at2nmevl/20230914-ngo-letter-to-eu-and-uk-on-tacs-for-2024.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. NGOs call on you to set sustainable, ecosystem-based fishing limits for 2024. 2023. https://www.clientearth.org/media/at2nmevl/20230914-ngo-letter-to-eu-and-uk-on-tacs-for-2024.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=ClientEarth |title=NGOs call on you to set sustainable, ecosystem-based fishing limits for 2024 |date=14 September 2023 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/at2nmevl/20230914-ngo-letter-to-eu-and-uk-on-tacs-for-2024.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{clientearth2023ngos, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{NGOs call on you to set sustainable, ecosystem-based fishing limits for 2024}}, publisher = {ClientEarth}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/at2nmevl/20230914-ngo-letter-to-eu-and-uk-on-tacs-for-2024.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }