Strasbourg, 12/02/2004 (Agence Europe) - By adopting by a large majority (420 for, 91 against, 7 abstentions) the report by Dominique Souchet (Non attached - France) on the management of hake stocks in the North, the European Parliament has backed up the position of the Member States during December's Fisheries Council on rejecting limitation measures on fishing effort for this species. Like the Council's modification during the last fisheries marathon, the EP significantly amended the proposal on the stock replenishment plan for hake from the north, to make it more balanced and in keeping with the already quite tough multi-annual limits on catches in the long term. Souchet explained to EUROPE that the EP wanted to send a clear message to the European Commission on the lack of justification for proposing a single drastic remedy (reduced catches and limit on sea-sorties) for an increasing number of species (in the past it was cod and hake in the north, currently its sole, lobster and cod from the south and soon it will be plaice and cod from the Celtic sea).