Brussels, 15/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament (EP) fisheries committee gave its backing on 1 February to the proposal to extend a regulation putting in place a range of technical measures, on things such as the mesh sizes of nets, and minimum landing sizes of fish and shellfish, until the end of 2012. Discussions will shortly be held between the Council and the EP with a view to a first reading agreement.
The only amendment adopted by the EP committee in the vote on the report by Estelle Grelier (S&D, France) on technical measures relates to provisions on the size of mesh to be used for boar fish. The amendment was initiated by the ALDE Group. Discussions with the Council are continuing. Several countries support the proposal on the table which would simply see the regulation on transitional technical measures extended by 18 months. Some countries, however, have specific demands. Spain and Portugal, for example, are calling for the extension until 2013 of a derogation which expired at the end of 2010 and which allows the use of gillnets, entangling nets and trammel nets in waters of more than 200 metres in the fishing zones of the Bay of Biscay and in Portuguese and Azores waters.
Ireland and the United Kingdom have asked to be allowed to use square mesh panels of 110mmx120mm, rather than the existing 120mmx120mm mesh size which is causing major difficulties for Irish fishermen operating in the mixed fishery (megrim, monkfish and hake) off north-west Donegal, primarily in the Stanton Banks.
In 2008, the failure to find agreement on a draft regulation seeking to simplify and clarify Community rules on the conservation of fisheries resources led to the adoption of a regulation putting in place a range of transitional measures, initially planned for the period from 1 January 2010 to 30 June 2011. The legislative proposal on the table seeks to extend the life of this transitional regime for a further 18 months, until 1 January 2013. Proposals for a fresh set of technical measures will be brought forward by the Commission around June 2011 as part of the reform of the common fisheries policy (CFP). (L.C./transl.rt)