Brussels, 27/08/2015 (Agence Europe) - In response to a written question on the reduction in the number of fishing vessels in the EU, European Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella said on Wednesday 26 August that the preliminary figures contained in the European maritime and fisheries fund (EMFF) operational programmes submitted so far to the Commission indicate that the number of permanent cessation applications to be financed by the EMFF should fall by 60%.
Vella confirmed, too, that there is a trend towards a reduction in the number of fishing vessels in the EU and said that, in the member states, most of the structural adjustments (reducing the size of the fleet to bring it into line with the available resource) have already been made. The MEPs who penned the written question - Gabriel Mato (PPE) and Carlos Iturgaiz (PPE), both of Spain - highlight that the number of fishing vessels in the EU fell from 104,000 in 1995 to 86,500 in 2013 (with the accession of Croatia, a 7.2% increase on the 2012 numbers has been recorded, according to Commission figures). (Lionel Changeur)