Strasbourg, 09/06/2005 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday, the European Parliament approved a modified proposal, which had been fought out with the European commission, on management measures for the sustainable exploitation of fish resources in the Mediterranean. Adopting- with difficulty- the report by Carmen Fraga Estevez (EPP-ED, Spain), it made no changes to the compromise reached in April by the Parliament's committee on fisheries, but rejected several amendments, including those tabled by French members of the IND-DEM group aiming to preserve "thonaille" fishing (a small-scale French method of fishing for bluefin tuna, using a floating gill net). Thus amended, the EP's proposal, which will be taken up for negotiation by the Presidency at the end of June, focuses on the minimum distance from the coast for dragged fishing gears, rules on longliners, and the minimum loading size for all species (EUROPE 8927).
During the debate, the European Commissioner for Fisheries, Joe Borg, explained that the Commission could accept most of the EP's amendments. The main ones are part of a compromise package concluded between the rapporteur and the Commission, he pointed out, describing the compromise as "not perfect, but it represents a highly delicate balance between very different positions, without challenging" the objectives of the initial proposal. Among the amendments which did not prove acceptable, Mr Borg referred notably to those relating to provisions on aid to fishermen (these provisions exist elsewhere or must be dealt with under the European Fisheries Fund), and those providing for an exemption for "thonaille" fishing. "I am sure that with the EP's help, we will be able to put a better proposal before the Council ", he said. Ms Fraga Estevez welcomed the fact that "we have managed to break the deadlock on the Commission's initial controversial proposal". In 2004, the EP decided to reject this proposal. In order to get out of the stalemate, the rapporteur made a proposal to the Commission to work together on the most controversial aspects, in order to be able to put forward a compromise that is also acceptable to the Council. It stressed that the text allows greater coherence to be brought in on the minimum distance from the coast for dragged fishing gears (including the problem of hydraulic drags) and the compatibility between net mesh sizes and the minimum size of the species of fish in question. "I hope that the Council will be able to accept this proposal", Ms Fraga Estevez concluded. The EP's position takes better account of the specific characteristics of fishing in the region, which the initial proposal failed to do, said Francesco Musotto (EPP-ED, Italy, noting that this position preserves the characteristics of small-scale coastal fishing. He pointed out that most vessels in the Italian fleet are less than 12 m in length and that 80% of fishing is small-scale (in areas which came under the old Objective 1 of the cohesion policy). Giovanni Claudio Fava (PES, Italy) also stressed the specific nature of fishing in the Mediterranean, which "varies from country to country depending on the diversity of tradition". Marios Matsakis (ALDE, Cyprus) criticised illegal fishing practices in the area and the inadequacy of checks, especially out at sea. Scientific data "are unreliable", he said, protesting against the Commission's intentions of granting Cypriot fishermen tuna quotas of just 5 to 10 tonnes, when actual needs are in the region of 5000 to 10,000 tonnes (the community quota is 18,000 tonnes). Marie-Hélène Aubert (Greens/EFA) welcomed this compromise, which should lead to sustainable fishing in the Mediterranean, bringing "clarity" to permitted and banned (driftnets) fishing tools and coherence to the European policy with other seas (Atlantic and North Sea). According to the Greens, however, there are a number of issues which remain to be resolved: -management relating to all countries of the Mediterranean basin (the work of regional organisations must be stepped up and agreements with third countries in this area must be sought); -(this is a threatened species and all exploitation of it must be strictly governed, the Greens say). Georgios Toussas (GUE/NGL, Greece) took position against the report, protesting against the ban on fishing engines "throughout the Mediterranean". Patrick Louis (IND/DEM, France) rejected the ban on set and anchored gill nets, "which directly affects a traditional Mediterranean fishing activity in France", "thonaille" fishing, an ancient means of fishing for bluefin tuna using a set or surface gill net. By approving this amendment, "you are signing the death warrant of 1200 jobs directly and indirectly linked to this activity", he said. Commissioner Borg said that the EU would continue to work with its partners in the third countries of the regions to convince them to adopt measures too. We must set the example to other countries bordering the Mediterranean, he said.