A unanimous majority in the Danish parliament has agreed to spend around half of a 917 million kroner fund from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) on developing sustainable and green fishing.
Denmark said Monday it will stop development of its fish farming industry at sea, which has widely been criticised for its harmful impact on the environment.
Denmark is one of the world's largest importers and exporters of fish and fish products. The Danish government should lead the way for ending overfishing in the EU, writes Lasse Gustavsson, executive director of Oceana in Europe.
Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said during a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday that he gave "correct" and "complete" information over his connections to so-called "quota kings" in the Danish fishing industry.
Denmark’s government and parliamentary parties have agreed on a deal aimed to prevent the country’s fishing industry from being dominated by a small number of people.
Denmark’s opposition Social Democrats as well as environmental organisations have strongly criticised irregularities in the management of fisheries quotas by the Danish government, after it called for criminal investigations into a number of fishing companies and so-called “quota kings”.
The Faroe Islands, an autonomous archipelago in Denmark, said on Wednesday it wanted to negotiate on a fisheries agreement with the Britain after its exit from the EU, a concern for the Faroese economy.
The vice chair of the Baltic Sea Advisory Council for fisheries argues that Denmark's opposition to a Baltic sea cod quota could wipe out future stocks.
Animal activists were stopped from their attempts to save a pod of pilot whales, while American actor Charlie Sheen says "Denmark is complicit in the killing".
The killing of pilot whales is seen as a cultural right by inhabitants of the Faroe Islands, but decried as a "massacre" by activists. Both sides are gearing for a fight.
The Faroe Islands and the EU have reached an agreement that will see the autonomous Danish archipelago agreeing to end "unsustainable" fishing practices in exchange for Brussels lifting an import ban.
