Luxembourg, 12/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - EU fisheries ministers were edging towards a political agreement in principle on Tuesday evening 12 June on some key points of the reform of the common fisheries policy (CFP). Arrangements for banning the practice by fishermen of throwing some fish back into the sea (discarding) were the subject of long debate. Some countries, among which were Spain, France and Ireland, called for eco-labelling for fisheries products.
The Fisheries Council struggled hard on Tuesday to reach a general approach on some points of the CFP reform. Most delegations seemed to accept the compromise tabled on the following elements: - transferable fishing concessions (this system, used in Denmark and the Netherlands, will be optional and not compulsory as initially proposed by the Commission); - maximum sustainable yield (MSY): fishing of stocks according to this principle should be achieved by 2015 where possible and by 2020 at the latest. On this last point, several countries, including France, Spain, Ireland and Belgium, called for flexibility on achieving MSY in mixed fisheries (those where several species of fish are caught in the nets at the same time). In addition, Malta and several other countries called for MSY-based management of stocks to be adopted by third countries (in waters where stocks are shared) so that the EU is not alone in applying measures which ultimately will have no beneficial effect on stocks.
Discards. France, Spain, Ireland and Belgium called for the rules on ending discards to be relaxed, the first compromise text making provision for the phasing out of discards by between 2014 and 2016. Sweden was the only country to ask for a higher level of ambition both on MSY and ending discards. Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki showed that she was prepared to be flexible on banning discards (gradual approach, aid for improving the selectivity of fishing gear, additional quotas, setting quotas for by-catches, etc.).
At a discussion in the morning on the first compromise text, the United Kingdom stated that this was an opportunity to carry out the ambitious reform of the CFP that is needed. In the text on the table, it called for amendment of the arrangements on regionalisation to make sure that the recommendations by countries are taken into account when the Commission uses its implementing powers. Discards must be ended as quickly as possible, the UK said, with binding targets and dates set. It argued that ending discards should begin on 1 January 2014, as proposed by the European Commission. The UK also said it was disappointed by the provisions of Article 12 on enforcement of environmental legislation which, it said, was not strong enough to protect vulnerable maritime habitats. The UK would like to see an end to intervention mechanisms (storage of fisheries products) which hamper innovation.
New French Fisheries Minister Frédéric Cuvillier asked that: - unwanted catches might be used for charitable purposes; - and storage aid for fisheries products be maintained until 2020 with no diminution in levels. He firmly rejected imposition of “immediate zero discards” which would cause problems in terms of safety at sea and handling unwanted catches landed.
German Minister Ilse Aigner, too, said this was an opportunity not to be missed to put in place an ambitious CFP. However, “time is of the essence. We have to avoid wasting fish resources and stop emptying our seas”, she stated. Her country backs the broad lines of the compromise on the table (MSY, multiannual stock management plans, national sovereignty on managing fishing quotas). With regard to discards, Germany says that the proposals need to be reworked as arrangements on by-catches are not tough enough. It highlights, too, the need for minimum criteria on information to consumers on the state of the stocks of fish bought.
Ireland called for a gradual approach, so that eliminating discards is accepted by the sector. Otherwise, there will be division between politicians and fishermen. Ireland called for accompanying measures to reduce discards.
Spain, like France and Portugal, backs maintenance of storage aid, and has difficulty with the way that is proposed for eliminating discards. It called for flexibility. It is not right that the countries which are engaged in mixed fisheries, like Ireland, France and Spain, should be the only ones to be penalised, argued Spanish Minister Miguel Arias Canete. (LC/transl.rt)