Brussels, 04/12/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 1 December, the European Parliament fisheries committee agreed a position on the proposal to put in place a long-term management plan for Bay of Biscay anchovy. In line with new procedure, which extends co-decision to fisheries (except on setting quotas), the competent committee adopts a mandate or a position to allow the rapporteur to begin negotiations with the EU Council of Ministers. If these negotiations result in agreement with the Council, the competent committee is once again consulted before the first reading vote in plenary session.
Bay of Biscay anchovy is a species caught by Spanish and French vessels. The fishery has been closed since 2005, however, with the collapse of stocks, which have not yet sufficiently recovered. Four months ago, the European Commission presented a proposal with new rules for setting fishing possibilities from July to June of the following year (see EUROPE 9951). With the adoption of the report by Izaskun Bilbao Barandica (ALDE, Spain), the fisheries committee accepted the major thrust of the proposal, but brought some changes to make it more acceptable to fishermen. When, as a result of lack of information on the state of the stock, scientists recommend that catches of anchovy be reduced to “the lowest possible level”, the year's TAC (total allowable catch) should be reduced by 10% from the previous year's level, according to an amendment put by the rapporteur (accepted by 11 votes to 7). The Commission, in its proposal, suggested a 25% cut. A Greens/EFA Group amendment to reduce the TAC more substantially in the event of scientific uncertainty was voted down.
Western stock of horse mackerel. Conclusions were also reached by the committee on the proposal to establish a multi-annual management plan for western stock of horse mackerel. The report by Pat The Cope Gallagher (ALDE, Ireland) contains amendments that call for: - a fairer methodology for estimating the proportion of discards; - vessels fishing for horse mackerel in one area to be allowed to land their catches in another; - any essential changes to the values used to fix biological references to be approved via the ordinary legislative procedure, fully involving the Parliament. (L.C./transl.rt)