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Published: 20 May, 2008 FISHupdate
A NEW survey looking at consumer attitudes to the commercial fishing industry has yielded "astonishing" results, according to the researchers.
The survey, carried out in 2007 by Europêche and its social partner ETF in five Member States of the EU, looked at the opinions of 5,000 consumers regarding the relation between fisheries and the environment, employment, recruitment, legislation, information, nutrition and traditions.
The results collected reveal that EU consumers have a very poor knowledge of fishing activities, fisheries management policy and the work of fishermen.
Small variables appear in the replies received from Northern countries (DK, BE, NL) compared to those collected in Southern countries (FR, IT).
It appears that more than 53% of European citizens consider that fishing activities in Europe have increased in the last twenty years and that 60% of the citizens interviewed consider that all stocks are declining.
In addition, approximately 75% have never heard about the Common Fisheries Policy.
While ignoring that there are already 977 regulatory texts applying to the sector, 44 % of the citizens interviewed are of the opinion that the legislation applicable to the fisheries sector is insufficient.
In Denmark, where fishing enterprises have been leading communication campaigns on their activities for several years, the results obtained are different and no more than 34% consider that the legislation is insufficient.
All this data demonstrates a poor knowledge and confusion among consumers between fishing activities at world level and the actual situation in Europe.
In addition, the replies indicate that Europe's citizens have not heard enough about the restrictive measures applying to the sector (reduction of TACs and quotas, limitation of days at sea, management plans for certain fisheries, strengthening of technical measures, etc.)
Moreover, they don't seem know about the constant reduction of European fishing vessels (approximately 30% in the last ten years) and neither about the high number of job losses affecting the sector.
The project was co-financed by DG Employment, social affairs and equal opportunities, in collaboration with the University of Nantes and the Centre for the Development of SME (CESVIP- IT) on the image of the fisheries sector so as to better pinpoint how European citizens perceive fishermen today.
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