Brussels, 13/09/2005 (Agence Europe) - Taking as its basis the opinion of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF), on 13 September the Commission announced its intention to extend the ban on anchovy fishing in the Bay of Biscay to the end of the year. On 22 June, it decided to close this kind of fishing for three months, from July to the end of September (EUROPE 8975). The extension by an extra three months of the stoppage comes as welcome news to the Spanish fishermen, who will receive national and Community compensation for the whole six-month period, but not to their French counterparts, who were hoping for anchovy fishing to start again in early October (aid to French fishermen stopped on 15 August).
The STECF confirmed that the anchovy stocks are at a dangerously low level, and that the only option was to close fishing off. It therefore rejected the solution recommended by the French authorities, to allow only mature anchovies to be caught and to protect younger fish by creating a no-fishing zone. The Commission also indicated that in its proposals on total allowable catches (TAC) and quotas for next year, which are expected to be announced in December, it will recommend that the Member States set fishing possibilities for anchovy in the Bay of Biscay at zero, pending reliable estimations of quantities of juvenile and adult anchovies. In other words, it feels that fishing for this species should be banned until July 2006. The STECF has taken up the recommendations of the ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) in favour of alternative management measures "designed to maintain the long-term viability of the stock". The Commission recommends this kind of management system, providing for fishing possibilities to be adapted during the course of the year, in light of the results of regular checks on the state of stocks.
Anchovy is a short-lived species (around three years). Scientists believe that the number of juveniles joining the stock (recruitment) over the last two years was extremely low. According to the Commission, the current stock is mainly made up of older fish, which must be protected in order to ensure stock renewal. Effectively, if recruitment is insufficient next year, then these adults will be the only option for reproduction the following year. The spawning season takes place between mid-April and mid-August (the opinion of the STECF is available on the Internet of the following address: http://www.stecf.jrc.cec.eu.int/ ).