On Thursday 18 January in Strasbourg, MEPs criticised the European Commission’s plan to ban bottom trawling in marine protected areas.
In adopting (402 votes in favour, 95 against and 57 abstentions) the report by Niclas Herbst (EPP, German) analysing the European Commission’s action plan on marine ecosystems, the European Parliament considers that the Commission had adopted an overly simplistic approach in proposing the gradual elimination of mobile bottom fishing in all marine protected areas (MPAs) by 2030 and called for the participation of fishers in the definition and implementation of these areas (see EUROPE 13309/10).
Parliament rejected (187 votes in favour, 308 against and 53 abstentions) an amendment tabled by several MEPs (mainly from the Greens/EFA group) which welcomed the fact that the action plan “calls on Member States to phase out bottom trawling in MPAs and to mitigate its effects on seabed ecosystems”.
Protecting dolphins. By adopting (331 votes in favour, 202 against and 15 abstentions) an amendment supported by the Greens/EFA group, Parliament welcomed the fact that the action plan also addresses the possibility of introducing additional measures to enhance selectivity, including innovations to improve the selectivity of fishing gear and devices, as well as measures to reduce catches of juveniles and by-catches of sensitive species. Another amendment from this group was endorsed (294 votes in favour, 215 against and 46 abstentions), calling for action to reduce by-catches of common dolphins and porpoises by closing certain fisheries areas in the short term. Parliament is deeply concerned about the impact of oil and gas extraction on the marine environment, fisheries and aquaculture, and reiterates its call for a ban on all environmentally damaging industrial extractive activities, such as mining and fossil fuel extraction, in MPAs.
“This action plan is not a legal proposal”, said Virginijus Sinkevičius, the European Commissioner for Oceans and Fisheries, during the debate. As far as bottom trawls are concerned, “we need a transition to better protect the seabed and we need to rely less on fossil fuels”, emphasised the Commissioner.
CFP. In adopting (371 votes in favour, 92 against and 92 abstentions) the report by Gabriel Mato (EPP, Spanish) on the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), Parliament considers that the CFP must continue to be implemented and, if necessary, “reformed and adapted accordingly”. MEPs are calling for the future composition of the College of Commissioners to include a Commissioner with exclusive responsibility for fisheries, aquaculture and maritime affairs.
In Parliament’s view, the marketing of purely plant-based products under the name ‘fish’ “may lead to confusion on the part of the consumer at the time of purchase”. It argues that this wording should be reserved for fisheries or aquaculture products of animal origin on the internal market.
It also believes that the review of the CFP should include a common, broad and appropriate definition of small-scale, artisanal and inshore fishing. This definition should be the result of an appropriate assessment that takes into account the specific characteristics and criteria of the small-scale fisheries segment and not focus solely on vessel length, in order to arrive at a definition of small-scale fisheries that better reflects the reality of the segment.
In adopting an amendment tabled by several MEPs, Parliament stressed that Regulation 1967/2006 concerning management measures for the sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources in the Mediterranean Sea, which lays down rules governing the technical characteristics of fishing gear, should be amended “because it is obsolete and, as such, constitutes an obstacle to achieving the main objectives of the CFP”. During the debate, Mr Mato regretted that environmental protection had taken precedence over the protection of fishers. He believes the CFP is obsolete and should be adapted.
Common market organisation. In adopting (415 votes in favour, 10 against and 129 abstentions) the report by Izaskun Bilbao Barandica (Renew Europe, Spanish) on the implementation of the regulation on the common market organisation (CMO) in the fisheries and aquaculture sector, MEPs called in particular for improved consumer information, including data on ingredients, date of capture, geographical area of fisheries and fishing gear used. They advocate better traceability and an appropriate labelling system, and insist that all fisheries products - whether originating in the EU or imported - meet the same standards of environmental and social sustainability. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)