During the past week, fisheries across Europe have protested against EU policies that want to phase out bottom trawling and cut fishing areas.
The protests mainly concerned EU’s Action Plan to protect and restore marine ecosystems which was published earlier this year.
The policies aims to protect marine ecosystems and to phase out bottom fishing activities in selected areas.
The European Union set a target of protecting 30 percent of its waters from fishing activity by 2030, a goal set as par of the European Green Deal economic package.
Across Europe, fishermen sounded the horn of their vessels to voice their dissent on the proposed changes.
“Fishers and their communities have spoken loud and clear. We cannot further tolerate policies from the European Commission that put our way of life and future generations in danger,” sector representatives said.
"The cut in available fishing areas would mean a further cut in boats. These boats employ the biggest number of people and also provide the markets with the greatest variety of species," head of fishing and aquaculture in Italy's Emilia-Romagna region Massimo Bellavista told European Food Agency news.
The call to protest came partly from the European Bottom Fishing Alliance and the European Transport Workers’ Federation.
