Brussels, 26/07/2011 (Agence Europe) - If it goes along with its rapporteur Iliana Malinova Iotova at the next plenary session in Strasbourg on 12-15 September, the European Parliament will replace annual fishing quotas and TACs (total allowable catches) in the Black Sea with multiannual management plans of fish stocks. The rapporteur points out in her report that, especially when compared with Turkey and the Russian Federation, the Romanian and Bulgarian fleets and catches in the Black Sea are relatively small. The Iotova report calls for genuine cooperation on fisheries among the countries of the region.
The report, which will be presented in plenary session on 12 September, acknowledges the Commission's efforts to promote a more solid and structured dialogue with non-EU states bordering the Black Sea. It encourages the Commission to increase its efforts until such time as a more structured common framework covering the whole Black Sea basin and following a regional approach to the management of fisheries in the region is agreed.
The EP is expected to call for an “enhanced system of monitoring, control and surveillance of fishing activities”, which will contribute to long-term sustainable exploitation of fish stocks and to combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing more effectively.
Fishing techniques. The rapporteur stresses that appropriate use of fishing techniques for demersal stocks is of great importance in preventing the growth of excessive populations of veined rapa whelk (Rapana venosa), a predator which is a threat to the ecological balance of the Black Sea, as it destroys natural filterers of water such as the blue mussel (Mythilus galloprovincialis), the striped white venus (Chamelea gallina) and the noble oyster (Ostrea edulis).
Cooperation. The EP will underline the important role of bilateral cooperation and international agreements, given that the majority of the Black Sea states are not EU members and hence not obliged to respect community legislation. The report says that the EP expresses its satisfaction with the Commission's efforts to establish working groups in the field of fisheries management with Turkey and the Russian Federation, providing the basis for further debate on cooperation. The Commission is called on to extend its efforts and dialogue with all countries bordering the Black Sea. The EP calls for a separate regional fisheries management organisation (RFMO) for the Black Sea to be set up. The report states that EU tools should be used in scientific activities as an instrument to foster and facilitate cooperation and joint work between the European scientific teams and their counterparts from Ukraine, the Russian Federation, Georgia and Turkey. (L.C./transl.rt)