Brussels, 14/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - European ministers expect the end of year debates on fixing total allowable catches (TAC) and quotas for 2013 to be tough going as the Commission's proposal is very strict for fishermen. European fisheries ministers will begin talks on Tuesday 18 December on next year's fishing possibilities and it is predicted a compromise will be found on Wednesday evening or Thursday morning. Also, the Council could reach a political agreement on Tuesday on the changes to the regulation establishing a long term plan for cod stock recovery management. Finally, ministers will adopt fishing quotas for 2013 in the Black Sea which is solely of interest to Bulgaria and Romania (the species concerned being turbot and sprat).
The Commission has suggested increasing TACs for 16 stocks, but lowering them for 47.
Talks will be tough. Among Spain's priorities there is north Pacific hake, for which the Commission is suggesting a 32% fall in TAC in 2013. This fall also concerns France, which will aim to avoid major declines in fishing possibilities in the waters of the Gulf of Biscay. The Commission suggests, in particular, -20% for monkfish, -30% for sole, and -18% for Norway lobster. Several countries are opposed to the drastic drop recommended (-55%) for haddock in the Celtic Sea. France, the United Kingdom and Portugal will call for TACs to be maintained for skate as scientific opinions are correct for the most marketed species.
The United Kingdom and Denmark should argue in favour of keeping the TAC for North Sea cod in 2013, while the Commission is counting on a decline of -20%. Germany, also, is worried by the consequences of this proposed fall in the fishing effort (number of fishing days) by boats fishing cod, saying in substance that the plan for cod stock recovery has proven ineffective.
MSY under discussion. The Commission is ambitious regarding the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) for stock exploitation, trusting this principle will be attained in most cases in 2013. Only Germany and Sweden support the approach, while the other countries recall that the Council had taken a stance in June for achieving MSY of fish stocks between 2015 and 2020.
For stocks for which scientific data are insufficient, the Commission suggests decreasing TACs by 20%, by applying a margin of precaution fixed at 20%. The United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands cannot agree to this rule. They consider that the decisions on the levels of TACs must be fixed on a case by case basis, on the basis of tendencies that appear in the scientific opinions (biomass). The Cypriot Presidency has proposed that, when the tendencies are negative, the TACs must be reviewed downward; when they are stable, catches must be renewed; and when they are positive, TACs must be reviewed upward. Many countries supported this compromise from the presidency.
If there is no scientific opinion, the Commission suggests applying a margin of precaution by automatically reducing TACs by 20%. Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Belgium and Denmark in particular cannot sign up to such an approach.
Cod recovery plan. The Council is expected to reach a political agreement on the basis of a presidential proposal concerning a regulation modifying the Regulation 1342/2008 of 18 December 2008 establishing a long-term recovery plan for cod stocks. The presidency suggests dividing the changes to be made to the cod plan into a legal act founded on Article 43, paragraph 2 (ordinary legislative procedure) and another founded on Article 43, paragraph 3 (adoption by the Council) on the measures relating to the fixing and sharing out of fishing possibilities. The political agreement sought concerns the legal act founded on Article 43, paragraph 3. The Council would thus be able to: - introduce certain flexibility into the follow-up to be given to scientific opinions on a case by case basis; - and freeze the levels of fishing activity attributed under certain conditions. The Council considers that, when measures relate to the fixing of fishing possibilities in line with the Lisbon Treaty, this must only go through the Council. The European Parliament and the Commission, however, are against dividing up the changes to the regulation.
The text also provides for the following changes to be made: - limit the scope of application in order to prevent the use of different methods of calculation in the member states entailing a rise in the fishing effort; - clarify and simplify the application procedure allowing those activities that do not involve significant quantities of cod to be caught to be excluded; - reduce cod discards by strengthening the obligation on member states to take measures when data indicates a high number of discards over and above the quota in certain fisheries; - strengthen the level of follow-up and control as well as the obligation to justify any exemption by complete documentation, when use of exemptions is made; - and harmonise the text with the treaty on the functioning of the European Union, including with regard to new committee procedures. (LC/transl.jl)