Fish populations in Europe have reached a level so low that going out to sea to fish has become economically unviable. The fishing industry is now engaged in a technological race to dislodge the very last fish from their hiding spots. Rather than drastically reduce our fishing capacity to actually allow these fish stocks to regenerate, Europe is on the verge of standardising the use of electricity to catch fish more efficiently.

Electric fishing is booming in the North Sea, while its impacts are daunting. Yet, they remain largely unquantified, as few research institutes (other than the Netherlands) have invested in this scientific question.

We have summarised scientific evidence on the harms caused by electric fishing in a single document here:

 

(Older version from January 2018 available here)

To learn more about this destructive fishing method and our fight against its development, click below:

 

 

Explore the timeline of our campaign until victory, together!

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is electric pulse fishing? What are its environmental impacts?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Small-scale and recreational fishers from Belgium, the UK, France and The Netherlands unanimously denounce electric pulse fishing for the impacts it has on the marine environment and their ability to pursue their fishing activities.

 

 

 

 

This technique has been banned since 1998 by the European Commission, but has benefited from exemptions in the southern part of the North Sea since 2007.