Brussels, 02/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - A long-term plan for the management of anchovy stock in the Bay of Biscay has been approved by the fisheries committee of the European Parliament. At Council level, however, the dossier is in deadlock due to a problem over the legal base (see EUROPE 10183). The European Parliament will be voting on this dossier during its plenary session at the end of November (22-25) in Strasbourg.
The anchovy management plan in the Bay of Biscay only concerns France and Spain. Fishing had been closed from 2005 to 2010 due to diminishing stocks. For the period of 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011, quota sharing between France and Spain (details in EUROPE 10188) is as follows (before some trading): 90% for the Spanish fleet (14,040 tonnes) and 10% for the French fleet (1,560 tonnes).
According to the proposal, the calculation of TACs (total allowable catches) is established in relation to the current spawning biomass assessed by STECF (Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries) in May or June of each year. Quotas are shared out between France and Spain. According to the amendments brought by the EP committee on fisheries, when the STECF is not able to give an assessment of current spawning biomass, the level of TAC: - should be reduced, if STECF recommends this should be done; - or should correspond to the level of tonnes applicable during the previous fisheries harvest year. MEPs have backed the EC proposal to set the highest possible level of reduction from one year to the next at 25%.
Furthermore, according to the proposal, masters of fishing vessels carrying more than one tonne of anchovy will be obliged to notify competent authorities of their flag member state at least one hour prior to the estimated time of their arrival in any port. The authorities should designate the ports in which offloading (of over one tonne) of anchovy may be carried out. The margin of tolerance between estimation of quantities reported in the logbook and actual quantities of fish retained on board is to be set at 10%, which is 5% more than the original EC proposal.
During the last debate within Coreper (committee of permanent representatives of EU member states) on 13 October, the Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers invited the Commission to withdraw its proposal relating to the recovery of anchovy stocks in the Bay of Biscay and to present a new plan within a reasonable time. The procedure in Council is therefore blocked. (L.C./transl.jl)