Brussels, 28/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - In Brussels on Monday 28 January, most of the European fisheries ministers (including those representing Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, France and Belgium) called for the end of discards in Skagerrak from 2014, and for the obligation for vessels in the zone to have on-board cameras to monitor this ban, stating that this should not constitute a precedent for other areas. Additionally, several ministers do not see why the EU should generalise the use of on-board cameras in this area, when Norway does not.
At Monday's Council, many countries stressed that the proposed regulation may prove suitable for the Skagerrak zone, but that it may under no circumstances constitute a general rule transposable elsewhere. This measure in Skagerrak absolutely must not constitute a precedent regarding the future discards policy, said the Spanish delegation. The use of on-board cameras “is not always the best way of monitoring the ban on discards”, the delegation argued. It is an expensive system and, in some cases, inefficient compared to others such as port controls, on-board observers and improving the selectivity of fishing engines, Spain argued. Many countries stressed the need to measure the financial cost borne by fishermen in the countries.
The Commission's proposal aims to transpose the agreement concluded with Norway, which aims to bring in a ban on discards in Skagerrak (Skagerrak comprises the waters situated between the North Sea and the Baltic and on which Denmark, Sweden and Norway have a shoreline). The proposal may be seen as an experiment in terms of the ban on discards carried out at regional level (regionalisation and ban on discards constitute two pillars of the reform of the common fisheries policy).
In order to implement the ban on discards, the proposal provides for remote electronic surveillance of fishing activities and, more specifically, a sufficient number of closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) on board fishing vessels of 12 m or more in length. Norway is applying the ban on discards and harmonised technical measures from 1 January 2013. The EU may apply these measures from 1 January 2014. Denmark and Sweden will apply harmonised technical measures at national level as of 1 February 2013. (LC/transl.fl)