Dutch shrimp fishers may limit fishing time to protect stocks

Dutch shrimp fishers may make agreements among themselves to counter overfishing. The Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), an independent regulator, says this fits within competition rules. It is the first time a sustainability agreement has been tested against the competition rules in European fisheries regulation.

The Coöperatieve Visserij Organisatie (CVO) wants to adopt the Harvest Control Rule from the MSC label, a fishing sustainability label. The rule would let the organisation impose temporary fishing restrictions on its members to protect the shrimp population. For affiliated fishers, that means they could be required to spend less time fishing when stocks are low.

The ACM says countering overfishing is important, both for the fishing sector and for the survival of other marine life. It says the agreement goes no further than needed for that aim.

The CVO says the restrictions are meant for times when there are few shrimp in the sea. Its member fishers would then fish for shrimp for a shorter time, temporarily, so the population can recover and overfishing is prevented.

A stable shrimp population matters for the future of shrimp fishing itself and for other marine life. Shrimp keep the seabed clean and are an important food source for other fish.