On Thursday 11 March, the European shipowners ofEuropêche were disappointed in the results of the plenary vote providing for mandatory video surveillance for certain vessels over 12 metres (see EUROPE 12676/11).
“In general, the European Parliament’s position improves the European Commission’s proposal by modernising monitoring and enforcement measures without penalising or creating excessive bureaucracy for fishermen”, Europêche said in a statement.
This organisation considers the following to be very positive: - changes introducing more flexibility on the margin of tolerance for weight estimates of fish catches by fishermen on board: - the exemption of engine power monitoring devices for fishing subject to catch limits (total allowable catches, or TACs).
The Council of the EU will decide. However, there is “a real problem” with the position endorsed by the European Parliament, according to Europêche: “The mandatory installation of cameras to monitor a failed EU policy, the landing obligation”.
Europêche hopes that EU governments will address this ‘Big Brother’ issue in the coming months. The Council of the EU has yet to adopt its position on the redesign of the monitoring system. Until then, it had been very reserved about the restrictive use of on-board cameras.
The European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries adopted a position in early March in favour of the voluntary nature of CCTV. An amendment by the S&D and Greens/EFA groups agreed in plenary on 11 March changed this, by introducing an obligation to use on-board cameras (CCTV) to monitor the discard ban rule at sea “for a minimum percentage” of vessels over 12 metres, considered to be “at high risk of non-compliance with the landing obligation”.
The opposite is true for NGOs. The NGOs campaigning for more protection for nature, grouped under the banner of the EU Fisheries Control Coalition (The Nature Conservancy, Seas at Risk, WWF, Oceana, Environmental Justice Foundation), are particularly critical of the flexibility granted on the margins of tolerance. “Up to 40% of catches (and up to 50% for tuna) may now be omitted from the EU fleet’s records”, the NGOs point out. They welcome the European Parliament’s position on CCTV, product traceability and geolocation devices for all vessels.
Furthermore, these organisations are disappointed with the rejection of the amendment obliging operators to install remote electronic monitoring (including CCTV) on vessels to monitor and curb the by-catch of sensitive species, including dolphins, seals and seabirds.
Link to the latest report on the status of discussions in the Council: https://bit.ly/3ta3nq8
Link to the Europêche press release: https://bit.ly/2OJo51g
Link to the NGO statement: http://bit.ly/3rMDFb6 (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)