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Schwerpunkt: Responsible Maritime Governance ∙ Resource Responsibility through European Regulations for Trade in Fisheries Products

Till Markus
Keywords: fisheries products, resource responsibility, EU external fisheries trade policy


The European Union (EU) is the world’s largest import market for fisheries products. Currently, 26 % of all internationally traded fisheries products are being imported to the EU and about 70 % of the fish consumed in EU countries is caught or produced outside the EU. While demand and imports continue to grow, the world’s fish stocks face heavy exploitation. Accordingly, the EU’s external fisheries trade policy is suspected of having a negative impact on global fisheries resources as well as on the social and economic situations in third countries, particularly in developing countries. This article provides an inquiry into current understandings of the effects of liberal import policies and trade deficits in fisheries products. It also offers suggestions as to which trade measures the EU could take to contribute to a more resource responsible and fair exploitation of fish stocks on a global scale.

Dr. jur. Till Markus, LL.M. is a senior legal researcher at the Department of Environmental and Planning Law at the Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research GmbH – UFZ, Leipzig. This article is based on his presentation at the Hamburg International Environmental Law Conference (HIELC) 2019.

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