Illegal fishing in Lake Garda

24.7.2014

Question for written answer E-005992-14
to the Commission
Rule 130
Mara Bizzotto (NI)

The professional fishermen who work on Lake Garda have recently voiced their concerns about the illegal fishing practices that are destroying their sector. The guilty parties, in actual fact, are flooding the black market with enormous amounts of fish, including some thirty kilograms of pike every day, and their actions are severely damaging both the lake’s ecosystem and the local economy.

Given that illegal fishing is depleting the lake’s resources, with the number of fish in it decreasing by the day, distorting competition on the market, with honest fishermen losing out, and undermining the local community, what actions does the Commission intend to take in order to not only protect those fishermen and the food safety of European citizens, but also safeguard the fish populations in Lake Garda?