EU failing to enforce illegal fishing rules, say campaigners

Fishing boats in Boulogne, France. There are fears that many vessels are flouting restrictions meant to protect fish populations, by under-reporting their catches or by discarding fish at sea. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA

Campaigners have said that the EU is failing to enforce rules on illegal fishing, and allowing member states to conceal information that could help uncover breaches of fishing law.

The court of justice of the EU ruled on Thursday that member states could keep vital details of their implementation of fishing rules under wraps, in a blow to environmental campaigners hoping to use the information to show whether the regulations are working.