Common Fisheries Policy a hot topic in Brussels

The European Union's late April launch of a multi-year, full-scale review of its principal fisheries law, the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), will be the focus of sustainability conference at the upcoming European Seafood Exposition.

"Sustainability of the European Seafood Industry" will take place Wednesday, 29 April from 9 to 11 a.m. in Hall 7, Auditorium 500 at the Parc des Expositions in Brussels, Belgium.

More than 80 percent of EU fish stocks are overexploited, and unless something is done to change unsustainable fishing practices the European seafood industry may collapse, according to the conference's panelists. More than half of the seafood consumed in the EU is imported, and the EU seafood deficit will continue to grow if business continues as usual.

Conference attendees can learn about the state of EU fisheries, the prospect of stock recovery under a reformed CFP and ways to promote sustainable fishing practices in Europe.

Conference speakers include Poul Degenbol, adviser of scientific matters for the European Commission; Christian Decugis, commercial fisherman in Prud'homie de Saint-Raphael, France; Tony Long, director of the European policy office for the World Wildlife Fund; Poul Torring, senior consultant for Gemba Food Consulting; Niels Wichman, president of Europeche; Simon Woodsworth of the Regional Association of Fishermen.

The 17th annual European Seafood Exposition is co-located with Seafood Processing Europe and runs from 28 to 30 April.