Brussels, 30/04/2001 (Agence Europe) - After taking emergency measures on 7 February (to protect cod fry in the North Sea) and 6 March (to ban cod fishing off the west of Scotland), the European Commission endorsed a proposal on Friday to require Member States to prohibit the use and the keeping on board of fishing gear likely to catch cod and hake in the North sea which are subject to a recovery plan when the fisheries relating to these stocks have been closed because the quotas have been caught.
The aim of the proposal is to amend the 1993 Regulation establishing control and monitoring measures of fishing activities by introducing additional control measures to ensure better compliance with the quotas. The Commission feels that, "the success of recovery plans must not be threatened by incidental by-catches because it is crucial to adhere to the quotas".
A recovery plan will soon be adopted for North Sea hake and selectivity measures will also be set up to protect young fish. The Commission proposals for the establishment of multiannual recovery plans for cod and North Sea hake stocks will be presented before the June meeting of the Fisheries Council.