Plastic Could be the Next Good Catch for European Fishermen

The fact that our oceans are becoming poor in fish stocks whilst filled with plastic and other debris is a sad reality we are all aware of. In an attempt to solve both issue simultaneously, Maria Damanaki, the European Union’s Fisheries Commissioner, recently launched a trial project that sees European fishermen paid to be catching plastic debris, filling in for diminishing fish stocks. The practice of ‘discarding’ – throwing back at sea (usually already dead) fish stock, either because the quota has been surpassed or to save room for a higher value catch – is commonplace. According to a recent article in the Guardian, about one million tons of fish are thrown back into the North Sea alone annually. Damanaki’s plan comes as an attempt to stop this unnecessary practice, and simultaneously support the fishermen’s livelihoods by paying them to clean our seas. A pilot project will begin this month in the Mediterranean where fishermen will be given the proper net equipment to collect accumulated plastic debris. As concluded by GOOD, the EU will subsidize the program at first (there’s no word how much money the fishermen will be paid) but the hope is that over the long run, as recycling plastic gets more profitable, the trash becomes a valuable catch in itself. If this pilot program proves successful, it could serve as a model for saving our oceans without sacrificing our fishermen. Certainly a win-win action plan for all parties involved.

Image from Hugh’s Fish Fight