Brussels, 05/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 4 November, the committee on fisheries of the European Parliament reached a compromise making it possible to continue fishing for so-called deep-sea species (black scabbardfish, round, blue ling, etc), whilst stepping up the protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems. The report by Kriton Arsenis (S&D, Greece) on this dossier was adopted by a show of hands (19 votes in favour, no votes against and four abstentions). It will be debated in December by the plenary session of the European Parliament, and then trialogues with the Council and the Commission will start.
This means that the fisheries committee of the European Parliament did not back the initial proposal of the European Commission, which was for a two-year ban on bottom trawling and bottom gillnets. This activity may continue for at least four years following the entry into force of the new regulation and will be more tightly supervised. According to rapporteur Kriton Arsenis, the agreement “does not provide for a total ban on trawling, but bans fisheries of all kinds in areas with fragile ecosystems, such as sponges and corals”. The preservation of stocks is “paramount”, he said.
Protection of vulnerable ecosystems. The member states will have to use the best scientific data to identify vulnerable marine ecosystems and notify these to the European Commission, which will then draw up a list of vulnerable zones. Deep-water fishing using bottom gear will be banned in these areas (footprint freeze). Fishermen will be able to continue to fish only where they have already fished, in order to avoid any further destruction of the ecosystems. There will be an avoidance rule: any vessels encountering a vulnerable marine ecosystem must stop fishing and move at least five nautical miles away.
Fishing authorisations. An impact assessment of the regulation will be carried out by the Commission four years after the entry into force of the regulation (assessment of the types of fishing gear used and the impact of the gear on vulnerable marine ecosystems). If deep-sea species are not exploited according to MSY (maximum sustainable yield) or vulnerable marine ecosystems are not protected, the Commission will propose a new proposal amending this regulation, five years after it enters into force. This proposal will be designed to guarantee that fishing authorisations allowing trawling and the use of fixed nets expire and are not renewed.
As well as keeping the same total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas for deep-sea species, it will be possible to set limits on fishing effort in place.
As amended, the regulation allows: - the sustainable exploitation of deep-sea species; - a reduction and, if possible, the elimination of by-catches of deep-sea species; - the protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems and compliance with UN resolutions (61/105 and 64/72).
Targeted fishing. Under the compromise, fishermen are considered to target deep-sea species if: these species are notified as targets, they are using fishing gear which allows deep-water fishing, the percentage of species listed in the annexto the text is equal to or greater than 15% of the volume of catch for the fishing day.
Data collection. The member states must establish a programme of observers on board vessels making it possible to collect data on deep-sea species and vulnerable marine ecosystems.
The ecological NGOs, such as Pew, Oceana, Greenpeace and WWF, lamented the fact that the fisheries committee of the EP did not retain the initial proposal of the European Commission. The environmentalists hope that new amendments to this effect will be presented at the December plenary. (LC/transl.fl)