Brussels, 27/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 27 April in Brussels, during the Seafood exhibition, the European Commissioner for Fisheries, Karmenu Vella, launched an ambitious strategy to improve the very worrying state of the fish stock in the Mediterranean Sea.
The Commission believes that there is a striking contrast between the situation in the waters of the northeast Atlantic, where increasing numbers of fish stocks are fished for sustainably. In the Mediterranean, fish stocks are continually diminishing, despite the measures taken by the appropriate regional fishing organisations.
Commissioner Vella was keen to point out the "undeniable" progress obtained since 2003 (the date of the Venice ministerial statement on promoting sustainable fishing in the Mediterranean); -management measures have been taken for many stocks (including bluefin tuna); -EU countries have put in place 42 national management plans.
Despite this, the situation today is even more critical than in 2003, admitted Vella. He pointed out that around 90% of stocks assessed are being overfished and this included species of major value for the fishing industry. In certain zones, large size fish species have practically disappeared, which has accentuated the pressure on small fish, with an impact on youngest species of less value. On average, Mediterranean fish stocks are being finished at levels that are three-time as high as the maximum sustainable yield (MSY). As the state of stocks deteriorates, fishermen are catching much fewer fish and production is falling steeply (since the middle of the 1990s) and jobs are disappearing. The Commissioner explained that this creates a vicious circle, with fishermen earning less money and being tempted to fish more often.
The Commissioner however, remains optimistic and believes that there are solutions for stemming the collapse of fish stocks and in this connection he cited the good example of bluefin tuna.
The action areas Vella highlighted are: 1) taking action in the area of the largest species of fish: for these species, all measures need to be taken for the reconstitution of the stocks. For these species of high commercial value, technical measures also need to be stepped up and limits need to be imposed on catches (Total Allowable Catches only exist for bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean). Karmenu Vella also indicated the need to strengthen measures for tackling illegal fishing, improve data collection and scientific co-operation and improve follow-up on the impact of incidental catches and recreational fishing; 2) taking action at all levels (international, European, regional and national); 3) assessing and managing the socio-economic consequences of the conservation measures taken, especially on small-scale fishing, which accounts for 80% of the European fleet, 60% of jobs and 25% of catches landed; 4) "We need to show solidarity in the Mediterranean and help third countries modernise their fishing sectors"; 5) the Commission will help countries optimise the use of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) and the European neighbourhood and partnership instrument for responding to challenges in the Mediterranean.
Ministerial conference. After the presentation of the strategy, Mr Vella organised a conference with fishing ministries from EU and third countries in the Mediterranean. In March 2017, ministers responsible for fishing in the Mediterranean rim will meet up to adopt a joint declaration on sustainable fishing in the Mediterranean.
NGOs satisfied. The WWF welcomed the launch of this initiative and underlined that priorities should be placed on: reducing fishing mortality (implementing a ceiling on the number of days at sea, specific closures in certain zones to protect young fish, accompanied by limits on catches); -ensuring that all fish are able to reproduce at least once; -implement a recovery plan for swordfish. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)