Warning issued on octopuses
Wednesday, October 12, 2005; Posted: 10:40 a.m. EDT (14:40 GMT)
BRUSSELS, Belgium (Reuters) -- Octopus, a delicacy in many Mediterranean cuisines, may be at risk of dying out in EU waters if controls are not enforced to stop overfishing, particularly of younger ones, the EU executive said.
Far too many undersized octopuses were being sold in the 25 EU countries, leading to a depletion of stocks, the European Commission said.
To curb the over fishing, it called for a minimum size for octopus caught in eastern central Atlantic waters -- an area extending into the mid-Atlantic roughly from Morocco down the African coast to Congo, where many EU vessels operate.
While Spain and Portugal are the EU countries geographically closest to this area, many European trawlers also fish in African waters thanks to partnership agreements that the EU has agreed with countries such as Morocco, Senegal and Mauritania.
The minimum size suggested was 500 grams (1.1 lb), below the standard 750 grams allowed within EU waters, but above Senegal's 350 grams, the Commission said in a statement.
If agreed by EU fisheries ministers, the measure would apply to octopus marketed anywhere in the bloc, whether caught by EU or non-EU vessels.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005; Posted: 10:40 a.m. EDT (14:40 GMT)
BRUSSELS, Belgium (Reuters) -- Octopus, a delicacy in many Mediterranean cuisines, may be at risk of dying out in EU waters if controls are not enforced to stop overfishing, particularly of younger ones, the EU executive said.
Far too many undersized octopuses were being sold in the 25 EU countries, leading to a depletion of stocks, the European Commission said.
To curb the over fishing, it called for a minimum size for octopus caught in eastern central Atlantic waters -- an area extending into the mid-Atlantic roughly from Morocco down the African coast to Congo, where many EU vessels operate.
While Spain and Portugal are the EU countries geographically closest to this area, many European trawlers also fish in African waters thanks to partnership agreements that the EU has agreed with countries such as Morocco, Senegal and Mauritania.
The minimum size suggested was 500 grams (1.1 lb), below the standard 750 grams allowed within EU waters, but above Senegal's 350 grams, the Commission said in a statement.
If agreed by EU fisheries ministers, the measure would apply to octopus marketed anywhere in the bloc, whether caught by EU or non-EU vessels.
