Emptying the Oceans - European Commission To Reel In Overfishing As Ecosystems Dissolve
May 18, 2010 Kyriaki (Sandy) Venetis 
Cartoon courtesy of CartoonStock.com.
Today in the world, fishermen are having to travel farther from their home shores to catch the same amount of fish their predecessors did locally a century ago, according to recent study from the University of York.
While a concern for all nations, the European Union is currently in the process of making new attempts to combat unsustainable fishing practices. Yesterday, the European Commission released a report about how it plans to use scientific advice regarding fish stocks when proposing catch limits and quotas for next year.
Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, expressed views that she would like to see tougher international standards and methods applied to setting quotas and days at sea. Her goal is to bring EU fishing limits back to sustainable levels in 2011.