Brussels, 30/09/2005 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission welcomed the results of the annual meeting of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO) held in Tallin, Estonia, from 19 to 23 September. In particular, the members of NAFO decided to initiate reform of this regional fisheries organisation, while the WWF denounced illegal cod fishing by Canadian as well as Spanish and Portuguese fishing vessels. NAFO members are: the European Community, Denmark (in respect of the Faroe Islands and Greenland), France (in respect of St Pierre et Miquelon), Bulgaria, Romania, Cuba, Iceland, Canada, Japan, Korea, Norway, Russia and the United States.
A working group formed within NAFO and headed by the EU and Canada will be asked to make recommendations on restructuring the organisation, implementing an “ecosystem approach” to fisheries management, revising the method used for resolving disputes between parties, and adopting a formula aimed at avoiding objection procedure that compromises the conservation of fish resources. NAFO has long been criticised for its ineffectiveness in combating over-fishing, an ineffectiveness due to the fact that member nations may invoke objection procedure to quotas fixed.
In April 2006, Canada will host a meeting of the working group on NAFO reform. At the end of the year, the group will present recommendations on possible revision of the NAFO convention during the annual meeting for 2006.
Black halibut: NAFO confirmed its commitment in favour of a plan to reconstitute the stock of black halibut. Launched in 2003, the plan provides for an ambitious strategy for stock recovery, with quota reduction (from 19,000 tonnes in 2005 to 18,500 tonnes in 2006) and requirements when it comes to control and authorisation of vessels. Furthermore, the EU has undertaken to reduce the size of its fishing fleet.
Protection of submarine mountains: Members of the organisation decided to take measures to protect fragile submarine mountains. The NAFO Scientific Council will develop guidelines to help NAFO protect these ecosystems.
Shrimps: NAFO increased the shrimp quota (from 13,000 to 22,000 tonnes), of which 83% belongs to Canada.
Illegal fishing: NAFO will draw up a blacklist of vessels that do not belong to NAFO and which carry out illegal fishing activities.
WWF denounces over-fishing of cod off Newfoundland
The WWF considers that NAFO is not taking sufficient measures to tackle the problem of bi-catches (declared accidental) of cod in the Grand Banks off Newfoundland (Atlantic side of Canada). It calls on the members of the organisation to reduce bi-catches of cod by 80%, mainly by reducing the number of trawlers authorised to fish in that area. The WWF asserts that trawlers from Canada, Russia, Portugal and Spain fishing in these waters deliberately catch endangered species, such as cod, although such catches are illegal. According to the WWF, nearly 5,400 tonnes of cod were “accidentally” caught in 2003 in the southern zone of the Great Banks, a volume that would account for 90% of cod stocks in that area.