EU seafood groups urge for policy reform

The environmental group WWF, seafood processors and retailers have called for reform of Europe's fisheries policy to save disappearing fish stocks in EU waters.

The coalition believes creating a more sustainable Common Fisheries Policy is a necessity, as the existing scheme has led to overfishing and a failure to maintain healthy fish stocks.

Sally Bailey, head of fisheries and seafood at WWF-UK, said: "In the last decade, we have seen huge steps by the seafood industry towards sustainability.

"We are united in a desire to bring European fisheries back to wide-scale health and prosperity, and to do this we must change the current, ineffectual way our fisheries are managed," Bailey noted.

"Today's alliance already represents a significant portion of the supply chain from the processing and trading sector and the retail sector, and from the North Sea to the Mediterranean," she said.

Richard Luney, wild fish and aquaculture manager for Marks & Spencer, said the company was committed to ensure fish stocks and fishing communities were protected.