Member states’ permanent representatives to the EU agreed, on Wednesday 18 July, the Council position on the multiannual plan for fish stocks in the western waters. The Commission proposal that was presented in March (see EUROPE 11989) was warmly received by fisheries ministers at their meeting in Luxembourg on 16 April (see EUROPE 12002).
The plan recommends setting total allowable catches (TACs) for 16 species in line with updated scientific advice and includes safeguard measures if stocks fell below alert levels.
The European Parliament’s fisheries committee is due to debate the amendments to its draft report when it next meets, on 29 August. In his proposed report, committee chair Alain Cadec (EPP, France) suggests some changes to the text, principally to limit the socio-economic impact by spreading the sector’s efforts over a number of fishing seasons for stocks the state of which does not allow fishing in accordance with maximum sustainable yield (MSY). Where a species is put under a temporary fishing ban, he wants it to be possible for the Council to set fishing opportunities for certain sections of the fleet dependent on that species.
Furthermore, in cases where recreational fishing may have a significant impact on resource conservation, “it is essential that it is not treated any differently from professional fishing”, he stated.