Brussels, 28/01/2010 (Agence Europe) - More responsibility for fishermen, rules favouring good fishing practice, new catch management systems and improving agreements with third countries should be among the key aims of common fisheries policy (CFP) reform, says the European Parliament fisheries committee. The own-initiative report by Maria do Céu Patrão Neves (EPP, Portugal) responding to the European Commission green paper on CFP reform, was approved by the committee on Wednesday 27 January by 15 votes to 9. The plenary session vote is expected to take place on 25 February.
The committee says that the traditional “top-down approach” must be abandoned, with emphasis instead being laid on regionalisation and subsidiarity, and participation of fishermen and other stakeholders, so as to take better account of the local particularities of Europe's seas and fleets. The EP also rejects any attempt to adopt a single Community fisheries management model.
New fisheries management models. The fisheries committee asks the Commission to consider carefully possible new management models to complement the traditional system of total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas. Where appropriate, these models could include limiting fishing periods (“effort management”) or transferable fishing rights (that is to say, saleable), which could be introduced on a voluntary basis (Ed: as is currently the case, since some countries, such as Denmark, already use transferable fishing rights). The report also suggests that, particularly with transferable rights, there should be safeguard clauses to avoid the fishing rights being concentrated in the hands of a few powerful firms. Such a development would be to the detriment of small-scale (artisanal) fishing. The committee says that these complementary mechanisms should facilitate a gradual phasing-out of discards of unwanted by-catches.
Special schemes for small-scale fishing. The report recognises the importance of fishing in the EU's outermost regions, and suggests that their specific situation (socio-economic ground to make up, economic dependence on a small range of products, size of market, etc) may justify positive discrimination, in particular to promote fleet modernisation.
The Commission is asked to prepare specific programmes to support small-scale coastal and non-industrial (i.e. artisanal) fisheries and also shell-fishing.
Market, eco-labelling and aquaculture. To increase market stability and boost profitability, the common organisation of the market (CMO) in this area urgently needs to be revised, says the report. MEPs also recognise that producer organisations have to be more involved in stock management and marketing. This would inter alia: - ensure higher first-sale prices of fresh fish; - and reduce the number of middlemen in the market chain (between the producer and the consumer).
To enhance the image of fishery products and promote healthy food, MEPs ask the Commission to draw up a specific eco-labelling programme.
The report advocates a “strong, high-quality aquaculture sector that is environmentally sustainable” and has the potential to promote development in coastal regions and help meet increasing consumer demand for fish products.
New agreements with third countries. The EP argues for new fisheries agreements with third countries. These agreements should be assessed against criteria defined by Parliament and designed, inter alia, to balance economic interests with promoting sustainable fishing, enhancing local employment and defending human rights and democracy.
Alain Cadec (EPP, France) voted against the report since the compromise reached in the fisheries committee supports transferable fishing rights, “without clearly separating small-scale fishing from this arrangement”. “I will continue to fight … to make sure that transferable quotas apply only to industrial fisheries,” he says in a press release. (L.C./transl.rt)