The Directorate General of Fisheries of the European Commission (DG MARE) acknowledges that there are “difficulties” for the implementation of the new discard standard as a result of the existence of “contradictions” regarding other regulations.

In addition, the authority admitts that it will be necessary to articulate formulas such as quota exchange and other “flexibility mechanisms” to implement the legislation.

According to the Head of DG MARE Coordination Policy and Development, Ernesto Penas, the implementation of the discard rules responds to a “political issue” because the Ministers of the Member States themselves considered it was “ethically unacceptable” to dump healthy fish into the sea, the agency Europa Press reported.

See complete article