Danish gov't introduces camera surveillance to ensure sustainable fishing

Denmark will be the first country in Europe to introduce electronic monitoring of fisheries on a large scale to ensure sustainable fishing, the Danish government said on Wednesday.

The use of cameras will better control both the species and the exact size of the fish being caught, according to the Ministry of Environment and Food.

"Electronic monitoring of fisheries is the right way towards a more modern, greener and more sustainable fisheries management," said Mogens Jensen, minister for Food, Fisheries and Equal Opportunities and minister for Nordic Cooperation.

Moreover, the ministry expects all fishing vessels in Danish waters to have the required electronic monitoring equipment installed by 2021.

The project was developed at the annual Agricultural and Fisheries Council meeting when European Union member states and the European Commission entered into an agreement on the fishing quotas for 2020.

That agreement set quotas on more than 200 different fishing areas.