Brussels, 17/10/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 16 October, many MEPs of the committee on fisheries of the European Parliament called on the European Commission to review its proposal aiming to bring in a ban on all driftnets in the near future.
“Provocation, aberration”: the members of the EP fisheries committee did not hold back when sharing their opinion of the Commission's proposal on the end of driftnets (EUROPE 11161). They argued in favour either of rejecting the proposal, or for the Commission to put forward a new one.
Renata Briano (S&D, Italy), rapporteur on the subject, explained that she had talked to fishermen, NGOs and representatives of the countries. In Strasbourg next week, she is to hold a meeting with the shadow rapporteurs. She called on the member states to “cooperate a bit more”. She pointed out that a block ban had been challenged by the MEPs and several countries within the Council (where a blocking minority exists: Ed). Briano added, however, that the figures show that these nets can cause damage to the marine ecosystems. This dossier is related to the one on the technical measures (improving the selectivity of fishing gear), the rapporteur explained. She argued in favour of solutions based on the principle of regionalisation and a more precise definition of driftnets and against penalising small-scale fishing, whilst protecting the marine ecosystems.
The Briano report will be put to the vote of the fisheries committee on 21 or 22 January and the plenary vote of the European Parliament will take place in February 2015.
In the view of Alain Cadec (EPP, France), president of the committee on fisheries of the EP, this proposal is a “provocation”. Jaros³aw Leszek Walesa (EPP, Poland) described it as an “unfortunate” proposal and supported the regional approach defended by the rapporteur. He called for the dossier to be sent back to the Commission, to allow it to present an “authentic and concrete” proposal. Some Spanish MEPs, such as José Blanco Lopez (S&D, Spain), Clara Eugenia Aguilera Garcia (S&D, Spain) and Francisco José Millan Mon (EPP, Spain), called for the proposal to be thrown out or, at the very least, a derogation (no ban) for traditional fishing gears with no adverse impact on the environment. More than 1,000 families would be affected by the ban.
Only Anja Hazekamp (GUE/NGL, Netherlands) lined up in favour of a ban on driftnets, on the grounds that they kill birds and marine mammals. Ulrike Rodust (S&D, Germany) said that rather than rejecting the Commission's proposal, it should be studied in greater detail. “Of the four options proposed, the Commission is only keeping the fourth one, a total ban”, Cadec replied.
The representative of the Commission said that the proposal was “not such a long way” from the principle of regionalisation. (LC)