Brussels, 02/09/2010 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission recently adopted a report which delivers a mixed assessment of Poland's efforts in restructuring and control of its cod fishing fleet in the Baltic. In 2007, Poland admitted overshooting its 2007 cod quota in the eastern Baltic Sea by 8,000 tonnes. The European Commission, as was required by the law, reduced the amount of cod Poland was allowed to catch between 2008 and 2011 (-10% in 2008 and -30% in 2009, 2010 and 2011).
The Polish National Action Plan on restructuring the Baltic fleet, which covers the period from 2008 to 2011, contains measures “to ensure sustainable exploitation of the cod quotas granted to Poland”. The National Baltic Fleet Restructuring Plan was adopted by Poland in April 2008 and the Fishing Effort Adjustment Plan (FEAP) in January 2009.
Control: the Commission found some improvement in 2008 and 2009 (the fisheries patrol vessel is fully operational, the requirement that 100% of cod landings are inspected, rather than the 20% benchmark, has been introduced, an inspection manual has been issued, etc). It regrets, however, a number of problems: - the inspection priority and strategy is not based on comprehensive risk analysis - in fact, some fisheries sector players, such as buyers, sellers and processors, are not subject to an effective control system, the Commission says, adding: “This may have been one of the factors that influenced the overfishing of the Western Baltic herring quota for 2009 by 17.4%”; - only limited progress has been observed in development of the Fisheries Information System (to help inspectors carry out their work).
Restructuring of the Baltic fleet: the Commission considers that the reduction in the number of cod fishing permits, coupled with increased control of landings, has resulted in “more proportionate use of the quota throughout the year and in an increased compliance culture among Polish fishermen”. It states, however, that the fleet restructuring process is “far from being complete”.
Of the (approximately) 450 which make up the Polish fleet, more than half have been able to stay out of fishing over the period 2009-2011, thanks to temporary cessation aid. It is to be expected, therefore, that after this period “about 200 vessels will be ready to re-enter cod fisheries”.
Immediate “corrective measures”: “Over a period of two years, Poland has made definite progress in improving the efficiency of fisheries management in the Baltic Sea,” the Commission acknowledges. It feels, however, that “the reforms implemented cover only part of the National Action Plan and the improvements observed cannot yet guarantee the full reliability of the control system”. It goes on to say that “the structural imbalance of the Polish fleet has not been corrected to the necessary extent”.
The Commission recommends that Poland: - review planned measures for deterring illegal fishing (it should, for example, ensure that sanctions are proportionate to the nature of the offence); - take steps to ensure an effective and efficient control and enforcement system (all fishing sectors, including the post-landing sector, should be subject to inspection and control, and the Fisheries Information System has to be modernised in order to meet the requirements of EU legislation); - establish a specific data analysis team with responsibility for real-time monitoring and risk analysis.
The Commission calls on Poland to identify appropriate corrective measures and to proceed immediately with implementing them in order to comply with the memorandum of understanding. The list of corrective measures should be submitted in writing to the Commission by 1 November 2010. At the same time, the Commission “reserves the right to exercise its powers as guardians of the EU Treaties”. (L.C./transl.rt)