Brussels, 08/12/2015 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament will hold a discussion on Monday 14 December on the recommendations it will put to the European Commission before the Commission adopts its proposals on technical measures (fishing gear, mesh sizes, landing sizes, etc.) at the start of 2016.
The following day, 15 December, Parliament will put the non-legislative report by Gabriel Mato (EPP, Spain) on this issue of some importance to fishermen to the vote.
Ending of discards. The landing obligation involves a substantial change of approach to fisheries management, and to demersal fisheries in particular, and hence to technical measures in key areas such as catch composition and the mesh size.
MEPs say that, notwithstanding the requirement to land all catches that has been in force since 1 January 2015 and will be progressively rolled out to include all fish stocks by 2019, “provisions regarding technical measures must be sufficiently flexible to adapt in real time to progress in the fisheries and to provide more opportunities for the fisheries sector to put innovations regarding selective fishing methods into practice”. They believe that the landing obligation constitutes a “fundamental change” for fisheries, and that the technical measures therefore need to be adapted so as to allow them to implement and facilitate more selective fishing. Parliament recommends the following three measures in order to achieve this: - substantially modifying, or even revoking, the rules governing the composition of catches, - affording greater flexibility as regards mesh sizes, - making it possible to hold several types of gear on board.
Regionalisation. Parliament lays great emphasis on regionalisation, which must ensure that technical measures are adapted to the specific requirements of each fishery and each basin, ensuring flexibility and facilitating a rapid response to any arising emergencies. It advocates technical measures that are simpler and easier to understand, implement and enforce. Technical measures should take account of the phenomenon of illegal fishing which is often accompanied by the illegal use of fishing gear, such as driftnets.
MEPs believe that technical measures must be reviewed in order to implement the objectives of the common fisheries policy (CFP), improve selectivity, minimise discards and the impact of fishing on the environment, simplify current rules, and increase the scientific base. Parliament backs increased participation of fishermen in the decision-making process (advisory councils).
Parliament considers it necessary to maintain the ordinary legislative procedure for the adoption of rules common to all sea basins, including the establishment of standards and objectives for technical measures, or for technical measures not likely to be amended within the foreseeable future. It considers that the ordinary legislative procedure is not always necessary for measures adopted at regional level or which are possibly subject to frequent changes. It says that the judicious use of delegated acts can meet this need for flexibility and responsiveness but reiterates, however, that Parliament retains the right to object to any delegated acts.
No to explosives! MEPs believe that the technical measures should include specific provisions on the use of certain fishing gear in order to protect vulnerable habitats and marine species and ensure that destructive and non-selective fishing gear is not used. Parliament also says that the general use of explosive and poisonous substances should be prohibited.
Parliament believes that, in the case of the Mediterranean basin, it is necessary to separate trawl nets and shore seines because the legislation which regulates trawl nets should not be the same as that which regulates traditional coastal shore seines as these target mainly non-endangered species.
MEPs note the difficulties arising from the coexistence of the marketing standards laid down by Council Regulation (EC) No 2406/96 and the minimum catch sizes and request that they be harmonised by the new technical measures framework regulation.
The Parliament's fisheries committee also considers that incidental artisanal fishing in the inland waters of the member states and regions must remain outside total allowable catches (TACs).
Multiannual plans. MEPs believe that the co-legislators must continue to seek agreement on multiannual plans while taking due account of institutional competences under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and on the basis of the relevant case law. Parliament is likely to amend the draft report, following the ruling on the cod recovery plan delivered last week by the Court of Justice of the EU. This ruling (see EUROPE 11444) found in favour of the Parliament and against the Council. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)