Brussels, 01/08/2012 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission announced on 1 August that it was cutting the 2012 fishing quotas of those member states that had exceeded their quotas in 2011. For the first time, deductions were increased by 50% for member states that had, in 2009, 2010 and 2011, repeatedly overfished the same stock. If a member state has no quotas available for the overfished stocks, the amounts can be deducted from the quotas available for other stocks in the same geographical area. “Nobody should harbour illusions that overfishing will be tolerated. … I intend to use deductions to help achieve the main goal of the common fisheries policy: long-term sustainability of Europe's fisheries”, said Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki in a press release. The Commission will present the regulation for deductions from other stocks later this year.
For 2012, the quota cuts (in tonnes) are as follows: Denmark: Spurdog/dogfish (13), Sandeel (69,60); Germany: Spurdog/dogfish (0.70), Mackerel (459.70), Plaice (1.40); Ireland: Herring (40.00), Norway pout and associated by-catches (5.00); Spain: Alfonsinos (3.00), Anchovy (962.28), Anglerfish (193.08), Blue Ling (41.00), Black scabbardfish (0.60 and 81,.90, depending on fishing zone), Cod (0.90), Spurdog/dogfish (5,.20), Deep-sea sharks (23.11), Forkbeards (28,.20 and 30.50, depending on zones), Haddock (21.80 and 5.30), Horse mackerel and associated by-catches (100.90, 681.23 and 11,623.92, depending on zones), Megrims (88.30), Orange roughy (0.60), Saithe (27.60), Pollack (4.30 and 48.00, depending on zones), Northern prawn (78.00), Redfish (43.50), Red seabream (13.18), Common sole (1.05), Tusk (42.40), Blue whiting (325.56); France: Deep-sea sharks (15.83), Common sole (10.50); Lithuania: Horse mackerel and associated by-catches (608.80), Mackerel (2.80); Netherlands: Black scabbardfish (5.00), Red seabream (6.00); Portugal: Cod (2.00), Greenland halibut (1.00), Haddock (16.00), Herring (38.20), Ling (3.00), Mackerel (5.00), Redfish (1.00), Sprat (119.60), Blue whiting (8.00), Alfonsinos (21.00), Anchovy (38.20), Anglerfish (112.65), Bigeye Tuna (142.70), Black scabbardfish (266.42), Blue marlin (3.30), Cod (250.91), Forkbeards (3.00), Greenland halibut (11.00 and 94.40, depending on zones), Haddock (410.00), Saithe (254.90), Redfish (208.98 and 50.70, depending on zones), Blue whiting (412.02), Whiting (1.20); United Kingdom: Cod (7.60), Blue ling (2.00), Haddock (0.60), Herring (200.40), Mackerel (6,439.80). (MB/transl.rt)