Brussels, 02/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - With the adoption on Thursday of the report by Yves Piétrasanta (Greens/ALE, France) on measures for conserving stocks of highly migratory species (tuna, garfish, sea bream, dolphins and some sharks), the EP recommends updating of the regulation aimed at transposing into Community law different provisions finalised by the regional fisheries organisations. The Parliament also requests that the quality of the indexes on flags and successive charterers of vessels be improved, and that certain provisions concerning the use of purse seiners be simplified, as well as the reintegration of the dolphin and the tiger shark on the list of species classified as "highly migratory" by the UN Conference on the law of the sea.
The EP adopted two other reports by the Chair of the Committee on Fisheries, Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (EPP, Spain), also concerning highly migratory species. It thus approves a regulation on measures for monitoring fishing activities and a decision on financial participation for stock management measures. On this last point, an amendment states that the Community contribution to Member State costs be increased from 55% to 100% for observers embarked on board tuna purse seiners.