The Dutch government and the EU are not doing enough to protect fish stocks in the North Sea, according to a national audit office report quoted by the Volkskrant.

Official quotas for maintaining fish stocks are too high and fishermen often ignore the rules, the report says.
In addition, many fishing boats use dredge nets which scoop up unwanted fish and other sea life. This unintentional catch accounts for around 60% of the contents of the net but does not count in the quota because it is thrown back.
The audit office also criticised the fact that inspectors only check up on fishing boats three times a year, when EU rules demand six spot checks.
Fishery minister Gerda Verburg told the Volkskrant that she has to strike a balance between the different interest groups and that she must keep in mind the social-economic position of the Dutch fishing sector.
Around 80% of the total Dutch catch is sold abroad, making the Netherlands one of the few European countries whose fish exports exceed its imports. The country currently imports €1.3bn worth of fish and exports over €2bn a year, most of it within the EU.