ASSOCIATION OF NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS OF FISHING ENTERPRISES IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

Europêche showcases sustainably sourced fish in European Parliament

Europêche and Chairman of the Fisheries Committee, Alain Cadec MEP, co-hosted their second triumphant Seafood Showcase reception yesterday evening. The event, attended by new DG MARE Director General Joao Aguiar Machado, was held in the European Parliament and exhibited fisheries products from all across Europe detailing the sustainable way in which they were caught.

President of Europêche, Javier Garat outlined the value of this event for the European fishing sector, stating: "We want people to know where their fish comes from and how it was caught. This is why we teamed up with the Chairman of the Fisheries Committee, Alain Cadec to offer a wide range of delicious fish to sample, including wild and farmed bluefin tuna from the Mediterranean, tropical tuna, Dutch herring and plaice, Italian clams and mussels, mackerel and Scottish langoustine from the North Sea, many of which are MSC-certified."

All the species served were accompanied with information detailing where and how the fish was caught, the Member States that target the stock and the stock status. Europêche believes in promoting responsible and sustainable fishing practices that not only protect the environment but preserve the fishing sector.

Garat emphasized the efforts made by the industry themselves to fish sustainably, adding: “Our fishermen meet some of the highest standards in the world and comply with a huge swathe of regulations to be able to meet demand for these healthy products. Our produce has come from well managed fisheries, fisheries certified by the MSC, from stocks that have seen their highest recruitment in the last decade and from fisheries that are piloting sustainability schemes, such as the use of non-entangling FADS and the use of electronic observers. This is real fishing; sustainable and healthy; essential if we are to meet growing demand."

The event was attended by Members of the European Parliament, the Council, Commission and Brussels stakeholders.

ENDS

For further information, please contact: Kathryn Stack +32 2 230 48 48

Sources: Europeche

Tags: Showcase, fishing, sustainability, Cadec, Aguiar, dg mare, european parliament