Oceana | Protecting the World's Oceans

The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)  is the basic management tool for the fishery and aquaculture sector in the European Union.

The current CFP entered into force on 1 January 2003 and constituted the reform of the previous fisheries policy that established the fisheries guidelines of the previous twenty years. However, neither of these policies has corrected the situation of the sector and the overexploitation of European and third country fishing grounds.

The European Commission is immersed in the reform of the CFP, which will enter into force in 2013, to make it more efficient in ensuring the economic viability of the European fleets, conserving fish stocks, integrating with the Maritime Policy and providing good quality food to consumers.

For years, Oceana has been actively working towards a reformed CFP that will ensure the long term sustainability of marine resources. Our experts maintain regular contact with representatives of the EU to advocate for the inclusion of improvements to the system of Total Allowable Catches, the elimination of discards and by-catch and an end to harmful fisheries subsidies.