Ahead of the AGRIFISH Council conclusions on the revision of the EU fisheries Control System, this article summarises the history of the revision and calls for more improved and efficient rules on fisheries control and monitoring.
The control of all fishing activity is clearly an opportunity for the fisheries administration, as it will allow to manage all national fishing effectively, since the sustainable management of the fleet, resources and ecosystems where fishing is carried out only if it achieves by knowing the true spatial and temporal distribution of the fishing effort. It is also essential to know the habitats where the fishing operations take place, as well as the gear used, in order to minimise the impacts arising from those activities and adapt the techniques and levels of extraction to the exploited habitats. Responsible fishing requires information and scientific knowledge. On the other hand, controlling the activity is fundamental to ending illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
Original article here (in Portuguese).