Rural Development and Foods Minister Makis Voridis raised the issue of Turkish fishing vessels trespassing on Greek waters in the Aegean during a video conference held by EU agriculture and fisheries ministers on Monday to discuss the bloc’s new common agricultural policy (CAP) for 2021-2027.
In a press statement released on Tuesday, the minister said that the uncontrolled fishing activity of Turkish fishermen who are not subject to the same restrictive rules imposed on European fishing fleets, and who are active in both the Aegean and in the eastern Mediterranean, undermine the sustainability of fish stocks in the region.
He also urged the European Commission to address the issue in relevant international fora, such as the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), and to also point up the matter in bilateral contacts between the EU and Turkey concerning its respect for International Law and Turkey’s overall commitments to the European Union.
The minister also called for the increased patrol presence of the European Fisheries Control Agency’s (EFCA) vessels in the region.
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Source: amna