Brussels, 20/12/2005 (Agence Europe) - The EU fisheries ministers negotiated all night on 20 December on fishing quotas for 2006 and recovery measures for cod, hake and sole. At Europe was going to press, the British Presidency and the European Commission were in turn meeting the delegations which were the most opposed to the first compromise deal unveiled in the morning.
The British Presidency's amended first draft deal foresees increases in various quotas or smaller cuts than initially proposed by the European Commission on 30 November, but it does not alter the most controversial measures like the 15% cut in cod fishing days in various fishing zones (the North Sea, the Eastern Channel, Kattegat and Skaggerak, the Western Channel, the Irish Sea and the Western Coast of Scotland), or the cut in days at sea from 20 to 18 for French, British and Belgian ships fishing sole in the Western Channel, and the 20% cut in 2006 (following a 10% cut in 2005) in TACs (total allowable catches) for deep sea fish. Various countries, like the UK, Ireland, Denmark, France, Belgium and the Netherlands, want the cod protection measures to be less strict.
Quotas for cod, sole and deep water fish were expected to be negotiated during the night, and the British Presidency was expected to unveil a new compromise deal in the morning of 21 December.
France and Spain want agreement to be reached on anchovy fishing in the Bay of Biscay. Following alarming scientific advice about dwindling anchovy numbers, the Commission is suggesting extending the ban on anchovy fishing from January to the end of May (the ban was introduced on 1 July 2005). France wants to start fishing again and Spain wants to stick to the scientific advice to prevent the anchovy stock being wiped out.
The first British Presidency compromise deal suggested the following quotas: no change (8000 tonnes like in 2005) for anchovy fishing by Spain and Portugal in Portuguese waters (the European Commission suggested a 15% cut); -10% for cod in the Irish Sea (the Commission suggested a 15% cut); keeping the current TAC for megrim off the Western Coast of Scotland; -10% for megrim in the Channel, Irish Sea and Bay of Biscay (-15% in the initial proposal); +9% for monkfish in the Channel, Irish Sea and Bay of Biscay, -10% for Dublin bay prawns (Northern lobster) in the Channel and Irish Sea (with the option of revising the quota in line with scientific advice); +15% for Northern lobster in the Bay of Biscay; no change in the current TAC for plaice in the Channel; -10% for pollack in the Channel and Irish Sea; and -5% for Atlantic horse mackerel caught in Spanish waters.