On Wednesday 11 May, the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries decided that the use of environmentally friendly fishing practices or the contribution to the local economy should be taken into account when distributing fishing quotas in EU countries.
In adopting (18 votes in favour, 7 against and 2 abstentions) the report by Caroline Roose (Greens/EFA, French) on the implementation of Article 17 of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), MEPs point out that only a few EU Member States use environmental, social or economic criteria to distribute fishing quotas to their fishermen and producer organisations.
However, the CFP requires EU countries to use transparent and objective criteria for the distribution of fishing opportunities.
MEPs note that historical catch levels are currently the most common criteria applied by EU countries to distribute quotas. They recognise that these criteria offer economic stability in the sector, but that they can reinforce negative trends, such as economic concentration.
MEPs want other criteria to be taken into account, such as the use of environmentally friendly fishing practices (reduced energy consumption or habitat damage), and the operator’s compliance record or contribution to the local economy. These criteria can contribute to the restoration of fish populations and improve biodiversity.
The Committee on Fisheries encourages EU countries to ensure a fair distribution of quotas between the different segments of the fleet, taking into account the needs of all fishermen, with a particular focus on young and small-scale fishermen.
Transparency. MEPs acknowledge the lack of transparency in the process of allocating fishing quotas. Only two countries, Denmark and Estonia, have public quota registers, say MEPs, who add that the transparent allocation of fishing quotas would improve predictability for fishermen, provide a level playing field for all stakeholders, and allow for better control.
The European Commission has been asked to produce a report on how each EU country allocates fishing opportunities, and to ensure that all Member States use an appropriate combination of environmental, social and economic criteria to allocate fishing rights in accordance with the objectives of the CFP.
The NGO Our Fish welcomes the outcome of the European Parliament’s committee vote, “which sends a clear message to the European Commission that it must do more to guide EU Member States and EU governments to ensure that they allocate fishing quotas on the basis of a fair and transparent process, using environmental, social and economic criteria to end overfishing and to respect the EU’s biodiversity strategy”.
Link to the compromise amendments: https://aeur.eu/f/1lc (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)