IATE Term of the Week: Electrical Pulse Fishing

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Members of the European Parliament met in Strasbourg earlier this week to discuss a number of topics in the latest plenary session. One of the bigger items on the agenda was that of electrical pulse fishing. This controversial fishing method has been dividing opinion for a number of years now and a constant source of tension between environmentalists and members of the fishing industry. However, the MEPs finally had their say this week and voted to ban the practice of this method in member states. For this reason, we have decided to make electrical pulse fishing the latest IATE Term of the Week.

Fisherman


Electrical pulse fishing is a method of fishing where equipment is used to give the fish an electric shock so that they can then be scooped out of the water with ease. It has been a divisive issue ever since it emerged and has had a growing opposition in recent years. Those in the fishing industry have said that it isn’t harmful to fish and their habitat, many environmentalists have objected to the use of this method stating that it is in fact damaging. In recent years, a number of European countries were able to continue using this method as a result of exemptions applied by the European Union. However, this new ban will spell the end for its practice in member states. Interestingly, the UK has yet to decide whether its use will continue to be allowed and could decide to keep it in practice once they have cut ties with the EU.

You can check out our entry for electrical pulse fishing in IATE below:

Electric fish

 

We hope you enjoyed this article. Join us on Friday for the next entry. In the meantime, feel free to check out all our previous IATE Terms of the Week here!

Fishing Term of the Week


Sources

  • Pulse fishing.eu, ‘the effects of electrical pulse fishing’. Available here [accessed 18/01/18].
  • The Guardian, ‘European Parliament votes to end electric pulse fishing’. Available here [accessed 18/01/18].
  • BBC.com, ‘Pulse fishing: MEPs vote for ban on controversial method. Available here [accessed 18/01/18].

Written by

Liam Kennedy – Schuman Trainee at the Terminology Coordination Unit of the European Parliament. Graduate of Journalism with a Language (French) at Dublin Institute of Technology. Completed a Masters in Translation Studies at University College Cork.