Brussels, 06/02/2003 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday officials from Directorate General Fisheries at the European Commission met representatives from the fisheries sector EUROPECHE (Association of National Organisations of Fisheries Enterprises of the EU) in order to clarify ideas for long term strategies for protecting cod and hake stocks. In an effort to take on board the worries expressed by sector representatives, the Commission announced that it would be amending certain provisions of Annex 17 - of the regulation adopted in December 2002 on total allowable catches and quotas for 2003 - focusing on temporary measures for rebuilding cod stocks in the North Sea, the west of Scotland and in Skagerak/Kattegat (see EUROPE 24 December 2002). Adjustments will involve certain measures aimed to limit fishing effort (days spent at sea). They have been described as being discriminatory and unclear by some fishermen (particularly the French). The Commission emphasised that it was, nevertheless, out of the question to get rid of fishing limitation measures because of the risk of stocks collapsing and the ineffectiveness of the TAC in this context (fishing continues for associated species).
The Commission announced that it could not adopt its proposal on a long-term stock rebuilding plan for cod and hake (including other provision on fishing effort, such as an increase in net meshes and closing off fishing zones). During the Fisheries Council last December, the Commission was determined to present this plan before 15 February so that it could be adopted before the end of March and implemented on 31 July. The proposal is now expected in March.
The Commission also indicated that it would be adopting restocking plans for: hake in the Iberian Peninsula; sole in the western Channel and Bay of Biscay; haddock in Rockall; lobster in the Cantabrian Sea (north and north west of Spain) and off the Iberian Peninsula. It will also be presenting additional technical measures to protect threatened stocks in closed off zones (these measures will not be integrated into a long-term rebuilding plan, according to fishermen) and will receive, in the newt few months new scientific opinions on the state of fish stocks.