Early Wednesday morning 27 Februari fisheries ministers decided they do not want to ban fish discards. As the governments have now agreed on their common position, the negotiations between the European Parliament and Council can start.

A selection of the reports:

“Damanaki, Rodust, and Lövin are the three strong women behind fisheries reform.”
Will Reform Finally End The Plunder of Europe’s Fisheries? Environment 360 2013-02-28

“Isabella Lövin, a Swedish MEP who is the fisheries spokesperson for the Greens, said the Parliament will resist the attempt to introduce flexibilities.”
Ministers delay end to fish discards, European Voice 2013-02-27

German:

“Die Fischer wissen, wie sie den Beifang reduzieren können. Aber sie werden es nicht tun, wenn wir sie nicht dazu zwingen”, sagt die grüne Abgeordnete Lövin.
Eine Chance für kleine Fische, die Tageszeitung 2013-02-27

Spanish:

“Apenas unas semanas después de que el Parlamento Europeo votara por encaminar la PPC por una ruta más sostenible, los gobiernos europeos han acordado una posición tristemente sin ambición”, ha declarado la eurodiputada de Los Verdes portavoz de asuntos pesqueros, Isabella Lövin.
Los Verdes critican la flexibilidad propuesta para acabar con los descartes, Europapress,es 2013-02-27

Swedish:

“Först slår ministrarna på trumman och talar om en helt ny fiskepolitik, och sen kommer de med ett beslut som innehåller en mängd kryphål,” säger Isabella Lövin.
Sverige ensamt i EU för dumpningsförbud av fisk, DN.se 2013-02-27

“Om det är 5 procent, eller 7 eller 9 procent, är faktiskt mindre viktigt. Det viktiga är att man ska kunna kontrollera att utkasten verkligen är inom de här gränserna. Det tror jag kommer att bli väldigt, väldigt svårt,” säger Isabella Lövin.
Skarp kritik mot EU:s beslut tillåta fiskdumpning, SR Ekot 2013-02-28

“Samtalen mellan de tre parterna i EU:s lagstiftningsmaskineri kommer inte att ske öppet, vilket innebär en risk. Därför behövs det fortsatt debatt och opinion som kan påverka förhandlarna i de slutna rummen.”
Rädda reformen, DN Huvudledare 2013-02-28

“Miljöengagerade och pålästa politiker som MP:s Isabella Lövin fått stort genomslag för sina synpunkter. Trots att Europaparlamentet är en gigantisk institution kan den paradoxalt nog vara lätt att tränga igenom för den som har goda argument.”
Bättre med mer demokrati, DN signerad ledare 2013-03-01

We are all a bit shocked here – but happy! We thought we knew that we would win the vote about the fisheries reform today – but not with such a large majority. And we did not know that we would win support on almost all the green plenary amendments. In addition to an end to overfishing 2015, a goal to rebuild fish stocks by 2020, a real discard ban and a network of marine protected areas – we also got support for the principle “without enough data, less fishing”; giving priority access to the fishery resources to those that fish in an environmentally sustainable way; establishing a committee which will scrutinise how the member states fulfil their obligations. Voting figures: 502 – 137.

I want to thank everybody that has supported us and struggled all the way through to convince my colleagues in the other political groups!

Now we will celebrate! Then we must succeed in the negotiations with the Council. That won’t be easy – but now we are one step closer.

Thank you, everybody!

A selection of news stories:

BBC: Isabella Lövin said the vote would “finally put the EU’s fisheries policy on a sustainable footing”

Die Zeit: Three women in Brussels have a plan to save the seas: Commissioner Maria Damanaki, rapporteur Ulrike Rodust, and the Greens’ fisheries expert Isabella Lövin.

Canadian radio, CBC

A video from Strasbourg before, during and after the vote:

The green group celebrates in plenary. The fish say Thank you!

> Press release (18.12.2012): MEPs vote to put CFP on a sustainable footing

The podcast (30 minutes) and powerpoint slide from the speech can be downloaded from the IIEA website.

Update 10 October: A video from the meeting is now available.

Find it at Amazon.co.uk & Amazon.com

Silent Seas is the book that made the Swedish government reverse its fisheries policy and changed the author’s career from journalist to politician. Now the English translation of Isabella Lövin’s award-winning book is released.

Originally released in Sweden 2007 as Tyst hav, Silent Seas is a revealing story about the fisheries crisis in Europe. Winning 14 awards, the book sparked such a debate in Sweden that the author, Isabella Lövin, was asked by the Green party to be a candidate in the 2009 European election.

After telling the story of how failed the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy has become, Isabella Lövin is now working to change it as a leading member of the European Parliament’s fisheries committee.

“It’s less than a year left until the EU’s new fisheries policy may be in place. Most stocks are today overfished, but I know we can accomplish change. The Swedish government used to resist sustainable fisheries, but thanks to public pressure it has turned around and is now one of few countries fighting for reform. We must succeed with this reform so that we don’t end up with silent seas,” Isabella Lövin says.

Comments about the book:
“A compelling book, which all those who care about the future of our oceans will want to read.” – Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Hugh’s Fish Fight

“This book will make you want to join the battle” – Dr. Daniel Pauly, Fisheries Centre, University of British Colombia

“I am very happy and honoured! Because of overfishing in the EU we are importing more than 60% of the fish we eat, and the EU fleet is active around the world. This jeopardises food security in developing countries and I have addressed this in my work in the Parliament,” Isabella Lövin said after the award ceremony.

Development goes beyond aid. To really make development work, all EU policies, like those on trade, migration or agriculture, must be coherent with development goals.

Since 2009 the Evert Vermeer Foundation (EVF), as part of its Fair Politics programme, rewards the Member of the European Parliament (MEP) who has most actively sought to include the interest of developing countries in EU policies, with the title of Fair Politician of the Year. See www.fairpolitics.eu

In the European Parliament, Isabella Lövin is pursuing policies with the aim of ensuring that EU vessels only fish on stocks where there is a surplus of fish, that fisheries agreements should contribute more to helping developing countries develop their local fisheries sector, and that the same rules should apply to EU vessels no matter if they fish inside or outside EU waters.

Read Fair Politics’ announcement: Isabella Lövin (Greens) is Fair Politician of the Year!

More information:
Axel Naver, press officer for MEP Isabella Lövin, +32 491 73 95 56

EU fisheries ministers late last night decided their position on proposals to reform the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The Greens expressed dismay that the ministers weakened some of the positive elements of the CFP reform proposed by the European Commission, such as on discards and maximum sustainable yields. Commenting on the outcome of the Council, Green MEP and fisheries expert Isabella Lövin said:

“Fisheries ministers have demonstrated total short-sightedness with regards to the urgently-needed reform of the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy. Despite all the evidence and attention on the need for fundamental reform, if we are to prevent the demise of fish stocks and the fishing industry, fisheries ministers are keeping their heads in the sand.

“The European Parliament must now take up the baton and ensure this CFP reform is meaningful and puts our fisheries on a sustainable footing.”

(1) See an explanation for the system of maximum sustainable yields:

http://cfp-reformwatch.eu/2011/12/explaining-the-misunderstandings-about-msy-why-its-possible-tomorrow/

More information:
Axel Naver, press officer for Isabella Lövin
+32 491 73 95 56
axel.naver@ep.europa.eu

Press release on Greens/EFA website

Isabella Lövin & Callum Roberts

Today professor Callum Roberts’ new book “Ocean of Life” is released, and today he presented the book in the European Parliament in Brussels.

We humans put the oceans under a lot of stress. Apart from overfishing, pollution and acidification are two big threats. In his book Callum Roberts show what immensely important role the oceans’ ecosystems play for our planet, and he describes ways forward in order to make our oceans healthy again. “We can change. We can turn around our impacts on the biosphere,” he writes.

Callum Roberts’ book presentation took place in connection with an exhibition, organised by Isabella Lövin, with historic images of fish that show the extent of change in the oceans over the last century. You can see the exhibition, “Where have all the fish gone?”, on Isabella Lövin’s Flickr page or download it as a PDF.

Ocean of Life recently got a good review in The Economist. Read an excerpt from the book.

Callum Roberts speaking at the opening of the exhibition in the European Parliament.

We must rebuild fish stocks so that we can eat fish in the future, have healthy ocean ecosystems and sustainable jobs for fishermen. Today, three out of four fish stocks in the EU are overfished and 60 percent of the fish we eat comes from imports. The EU is reforming its fisheries policy and there is one thing we have to do: Save the fish!

The film is also available in French and Spanish.

On March 1st, a seminar with the title “Can EU fisheries agreements be fair and sustainable?” was organised in Stockholm by Isabella Lövin and the Green group in the European Parliament. Here you can watch the film from the seminar:

Embed or download the movie.

Photos from the meeting can be found on Flickr and in the programme you can see all the participants.