The European Union's Common Fisheries Policy was created to manage fishing stocks in the seas and waters around Europe. It is intended to balance commercial exploitation and conservation of stocks.
It has historically been controversial. Issues have included - fishermen complaining their livelihoods are threatened; environmental mismanagement resulting in the depletion of fish stocks in European waters; overfishing in African waters to the detriment of African fishing communities; and the application of quota rules which have allegedly resulted in around half of the fish caught in the North Sea being thrown back into the ocean dead.
Concern about the Common Fisheries Policy has been an important factor in countries like Norway and Iceland, with large fish stocks and industries, deciding not to join the European Union.