Brussels, 12/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - Late afternoon in Brussels on Monday 10 November, the European fisheries ministers reached a political agreement by qualified majority for a limited reduction in quotas for 2015 and 2016 for so-called deep-sea species (black scabbardfish, roundnose grenadier and red sea bream). Spain and Portugal decided not to support the compromise hammered out by the Italian Presidency with the support of the European Commission, as they felt the cuts to the total allowable catches (TAC) for red sea bream, a species under threat, were excessive.
“The agreement respects the objective of sustainability provided for in the reformed common fisheries policy”, said the new Commission of the Environment and Fisheries, Malta's Karmenu Vella.
France, Spain and Ireland battled to keep catches of black scabbardfish at current levels (nearly 4,000 tonnes in total) west of the British Isles. The European Commission proposed to reduce these by 20% in 2015 and 20% in 2016. The compromise reached provides for a drop in catch of 8% in 2015 ( 3,649 tonnes) and also by 8% in 2016 (3,357 tonnes). The proposal for roundnose grenadier in the Western British Isles was accepted: a 12% decrease in catch in 2015 (3,794 tonnes), followed by an increase of 2% (3,858 tonnes) the following year, to reach maximum sustainable yield (or MSY).
For red sea bream, the reductions in catch go from -25% to -52%. Lastly, the Council upheld the ban on fishing for shark in deep water and for emperor fish. (LC)