Brussels, 17/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - Small-scale fishing should be authorised to catch cod during the closed season in the Baltic Sea, especially during the summer months. This is an important measure for the economy of this sector of the fleet as prices in this period are high. The European Parliament introduced this derogation by adopting the report of Jaroslaw Leszek Walesa (EPP, Poland) by 661 votes to 7, with 20 abstentions in Strasbourg on Wednesday 16 January. The report was on the revision of the multiannual plan applicable to cod stocks from the Baltic Sea.
The Walesa report aims to ensure that cod stocks from the Baltic Sea can be exploited under sustainable economic, environmental and social conditions. “Our proposal brings us closer to achieving sustainable fishing by including the target of maximum sustainable yield and provides benefits for fish stocks as well as addressing the needs of the fisheries sector”, Walesa said. Data show that Baltic Sea cod stocks are gradually recovering. Walesa explained that authorising coastal fishing in summer will not harm the stocks, given that cod spawn in deeper waters.
The proposal on the Baltic cod plan still has to be approved by the member states, possibly after a second reading. However, as this is a multiannual plan, the Parliament's fisheries committee fears that the Council might put the file on hold, due to a difference of opinion on the legal basis of the management plans (see previous article). (LC/transl.fl)