Brussels, 27/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission proposed on Tuesday 27 September that there should be no fishing for cod next year where stocks are in poor biological shape. In its proposals for total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas for 2012 in the Atlantic and North Sea, the Commission suggests increasing catches for only nine species (certain stocks of cod, anglerfish, herring, haddock, hake, sole, megrim and Norway lobster) and reducing it for 53 stocks. There are 25% reductions in catches where the Commission does not have sufficient information. This move is likely to be challenged by most member states at the mid-December negotiations.
Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki said the “proposal's cornerstones are long-term management of stocks and reliable scientific data (…) in line with our proposed reform of the common fisheries policy. This reform will deliver a fisheries policy fit for the future, based on viable fish stocks which will assure fishermen a decent income”.
The ultimate aim of the Commission is that all stocks are fished at sustainable levels, the so-called Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY), by 2015 - a commitment that the EU made to the international community, and which is also a key pillar of the proposed CFP reform, the Commission says. Several member states have called for the deadline for the MSY objective to be pushed back to 2020.
There is good news on a number of stocks. The stock of southern anglerfish (zone VIIIc) is increasing and may reach MSY levels by 2012, even with higher catches than at present. The Commission is proposing a 110% increase in the TAC. Among cod in the Celtic Sea, the 2009 cohort has developed very well, increasing the stock significantly. The Commission is proposing a 141% increase, to 9,679 tonnes in 2012. Haddock stocks in the West of Scotland and the Celtic Sea are doing very well after many bleak years, with the 2009 cohort very strong. Discards remain a problem for this species in the two zones and in the Irish Sea, however. The Commission is proposing to increase the TAC by 25%, to 2,506 tonnes. Stocks of northern and southern hake continue at relatively satisfactory levels, although scientific opinion continues to flag up worryingly high fishing mortality levels and raises the possibility of falsification of catch records. The Commission is proposing a 15% increase to 12,299 tonnes. Herring in the Celtic Sea is another important stock which is continuing to show signs of good health, allowing the opportunity to increase catches in 2012 (up 60% to 21,000 tonnes). The Commission is proposing a 9% increase in the TAC for certain stocks of sole (in the Channel).
The situation in a number of stocks remains very worrying. In particular, because of the poor state of the stocks, the Commission proposes closing the cod fishery in the West of Scotland, the Irish Sea and Kattegat. The lack of scientific data is a problem for the management of these stocks and, despite successive TAC reductions over the last few years, numbers are still not growing.
Among the quota reductions proposed are: sole in the Celtic Sea (down 15%), various whiting stocks (reductions of between 15% and 25%), Norway lobster (down between 10% and 15%), pollack (down 15% or 25% depending on the stocks), saithe (down 15%), monkfish in the Celtic Sea, Channel and Bay of Biscay (down 25%), haddock in the Celtic Sea and Bay of Biscay (down 25%), megrim (25% reduction in the Celtic Sea and Bay of Biscay), plaice (down 15% or 25% depending on zones), herring (down 25% in the Irish Sea) and great silver smelt (down 25%). (LC/transl.rt)