Gabriel Mato (EPP, Spain), the European Parliament rapporteur on the proposal transposing the provisions of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) into EU law, has found there to be contradiction between EU and ICCAT transhipment rules for large pelagic longline vessels.
Parliament’s fisheries committee will discuss Mato’s draft report on the ICCAT rules and the swordfish fishery in the waters of that regional fisheries organisation (see EUROPE 11672) on Monday 27 February.
Contradiction between transhipment rules. The rapporteur believes one of the most controversial parts of the proposal is the authorisation of transhipments in ICCAT waters for large pelagic longline vessels without prejudice to the provisions established by EU legislation on this matter. Transhipments at sea are currently banned for all ships (including third countries’ vessels) in EU waters, in order to avoid illegal practices. Mato says that “there is a clear contradiction between the European legislation and the ICCAT recommendations”. The transposition of the ICCAT recommendation would mean that a European vessel could carry out transhipment operations at sea in the ICCAT area provided that such activities do not take place in EU waters. The draft report backs faithfully transposing the ICCAT recommendations so as not to create a situation where there is discrimination against European fleets vis-à-vis to third-country fleets. Nonetheless, Mato urges the European Commission to seriously and systematically address this issue within the framework of the regional organisations with a view to extending the EU prohibition to all waters. Third countries need to be persuaded to follow EU standards in this case.
Rise in Bluefin tuna catches. Mato also makes use of the report to express his discontent at the latest decision taken by ICCAT to set up, for the first time, a total allowable catch (TAC) for swordfish in the Mediterranean Sea “without taking into consideration the possibility to increase, at the same time, the Bluefin TAC for 2017, in order to counterbalance the consequences of such decision for the European fleet”. Bluefin tuna stocks are recovering well, he says, which would justify an increase of the TAC for the bluefin tuna fleet.
In any event, the rapporteur stresses, in an amendment, the need for Article 17 of the common fisheries policy (CFP) basic regulation (1380/2013), which deals with the allocation of quotas at national level, to be implemented in a way that special consideration is given to traditional and artisanal fisheries, and that incentives are provided to EU fishing vessels using selective fishing gear or using fishing techniques with reduced environmental impact. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)