The European Parliament gave its approval in Strasbourg on Tuesday 13 December to the compromise text on the regulation framing deep-sea fishing (see EUROPE 11681).
The text at least allows fishing to continue. “That is not something to be taken lightly. We’re talking about 760 vessels, after all”, commented rapporteur Isabelle Thomas (S&D, France) in the debate the previous evening. She highlighted the main points of the regulation: - a freezing of the footprint (an area, corresponding to the zones where there was fishing between 2009 and 2011, has been determined where vessels will be able to continue deep water fishing); - a ban on trawling at depths of more than 800 metres; - tighter monitoring and tougher penalties; - scientific observers will monitor 20% of deep-sea fishing activities; - numerous impact studies and recording of catches, including of species not targeted.
The text will come into force at the start of 2017. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)