Brussels, 02/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - On 29 September, the European Commission revealed the position it will take, on behalf of the EU, at the UN General Assembly in New York on 4-5 October. The session will be devoted to destructive fishing practices. International pressure is growing to impose a ban on bottom trawling on the high seas. This pressure is supported by scientists and environmentalists and a similar moratorium has already been imposed by Japan, the United States, Norway, Canada and the small state of Palau in their own waters.
After proposing drastic reductions in quotas for deep sea species (grenadier, black scabbardfish, orange roughy etc, see EUROPE 9275, p10), the Commission has called on the international community to adopt ambitious measures to restrict fishing techniques, such as bottom trawling, which cause huge damage on coral-covered submarine mountains.
In areas covered by regional fisheries organisations, which are controlled by the member countries of these organisations, the Commission is arguing for an immediate freeze on all expansion of bottom trawling, until a regime regulating this fishing practice is put in place. This regime, says the Commission, should be able to limit the number of authorised bottom trawlers and protect certain vulnerable marine areas from fishing.
In international waters (on the high seas), which are not subject to any controls, the EU is calling on countries to implement a provisional ban on destructive fishing practices where the marine habitat is fragile. In addition, the EU supports the creation of new regional fisheries organisations in maritime areas of the world which, at the moment, have no surveillance. The Commission acknowledges that a simple ban on fishing for deep sea species in international waters would serve no purpose without the means to monitor such a ban. Moreover, the moratorium could encourage illegal fishing. Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg said the proposed measures were “realistic and enforceable”.
Plenary session of the European Parliament