Brussels, 26/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - EU fisheries ministers are expected to reach a political agreement in Brussels in the evening of Monday 29 November on setting fishing opportunities for 2011 and 2012 for deep-sea stocks (black scabbardfish, roundnose grenadier, and others) in the waters of the North-East Atlantic. Ministers will take stock of on-going negotiations on the annual renewal of the EU-Norway bilateral agreement. The Council will also discuss progress in long-term recovery plans for a number of species (see EUROPE 10263 on the impasse in Council on the anchovy and horse mackerel plans).
Over lunch, ministers will have a discussion on how to improve fisheries and science partnerships.
Deep-sea species. On 6 October, the European Commission brought forward proposals on total allowable catches (TACs) for 2011 and 2012 for deep-sea fish (see EUROPE 10228). According to the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers, the species which present the greatest problems in terms of a political agreement are deep sea shark, black scabbardfish and roundnose grenadier. The Commission is proposing a ban on fishing for deep sea shark and, in the future, wants to ban by-catches of these species. Some seven or eight member states, including France, Spain, Portugal, and the Baltic states, are calling for by-catches of deep sea shark to continue to be allowed (arguing that it is impossible not to catch some shark in the fishing nets) so that there are no discards of shark.
Some countries, in particular France, want the current TAC for black scabbardfish in north western waters and in the central Atlantic to be maintained. The Commission, however, is proposing a 15% reduction in 2011 and a further 7% reduction in 2012.
Some of the countries involved in the roundnose grenadier fishery (France and Spain) as calling for the current level of fishing opportunities to remain unchanged. Several countries oppose the Commission plans to re-organise grenadier fishing zones in the western waters and further to the south (for example, the Iberian peninsula and the Azores) arguing that these changes will affect the relative stability principle. The Commission is proposing changes to grenadier TAC zones so that management decisions more easily reflect scientific recommendations.
Norway. The Council will hold an exchange of views on the annual consultations between the EU and Norway on a bilateral fisheries agreement for 2011. The two main topics on the agenda for these consultations are setting TACs for jointly managed North Sea stocks and reciprocal exchanges of quota between the EU and Norway. Ministers will be briefed about the results of the first round of consultations held in Brussels from 16 to 19 November 2010. They will discuss the issues for the second round which will be held in Bergen (Norway) from 29 November to 3 December 2010.
Discussions are difficult as it is not easy for the EU to rebalance the agreement. The blue whiting stock has collapsed and only half the amount of Arctic cod compared with 2010 is available. In addition, several countries are calling for a re-assessment of the TAC as scientists have acknowledged that there was an error in estimating the stock, which would have allowed a 15% increase in catch levels in 2010. The Commission appears unwilling to review the situation though Norway would be happy to do so. The technical measures discussed (real time closures) pose a problem for some countries which want to wait for the results of the reform of the common fisheries policy (CFP) before bringing in these measures.
Multiannual plans. Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki will give the Council her thoughts on the procedure to be followed for the adoption of long-term recovery plans now that the Lisbon Treaty has come into force. Some long-term management plans (such as those for anchovy in the Bay of Biscay and for western horse mackerel) contain a rule for calculating catch quotas over several years. The Lisbon Treaty gives the Council exclusive responsibility for setting quotas. However, the European Parliament (EP) now has co-decision-making powers on all other fisheries measures, including management plans. The Council (in fact, some 20 countries in Council) does not want the Parliament to have any say in the calculation built into the management plan. This conflict is slowing up the legislative procedure. Damanaki is known to side with the EP. (L.C./transl.rt)