Brussels, 26/01/2007 (Agence Europe) - “Sustainable fisheries” and combating illegal activities in the catch and sale of fish are at the heart of the German presidency's six-month programme, German Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection Minister Horst Seehofer said on Thursday 25 January. Addressing the European Parliament's fisheries committee, he emphasised his intention to have EU member states approve new recovery plans for over-fished stocks (Baltic Sea cod, sole and plaice in the North Sea and eels) and to make progress on eco-labelling of sea products. In addition, he announced that the informal meeting of EU fisheries directors in Hamburg, Germany, on 9-10 May would reflect on the potential effects of the warming of the oceans on fish resources. This announcement was welcomed by the members of the EP fisheries committee.
“The oceans represent one of our most precious and also most endangered natural resources,” he said as he presented the German presidency's work programme on fisheries. He spoke of some stocks which were in an “alarming” state, including cod, which has fallen by 50% between 1991 (290,000 tonnes) and 2005 (129,000 tonnes). In addition, he noted that 30% of fish stocks were threatened because of illegal fishing. That was why it was important to take steps to build up and stabilise the level of stocks, said Mr Seehofer, who is the current president of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council. He hoped the EU would have made significant progress in the following areas before June: - promoting sustainability in the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP); - eradicating illegal, undeclared and unregulated fisheries; - conducting research on climate-induced changes to the fish stocks; - moving forward the certification of fisheries and fishery products.
He also hoped the Council would find a compromise on recovery measures for cod stocks in the Baltic Sea. He spoke, too, of the Council decisions taken in December on putting in place a management plan for sole and plaice in the North Sea. He also stressed the urgency of the need to reduce discards (fish which cannot be landed because quotas have been exceeded or because they are under size). Mr Seehofer called on ministers to take measures to protect the European eel and, more generally to work together in fisheries negotiations to avoid sterile quarrels between, on the one side Member States from the north of Europe and, on the other, those from the south.
Reacting to Mr Seehofer's comments on the importance of maintaining natural resources, the chairman of the EP's fisheries committee, Philippe Morillon (EPP-ED, France), said that the work the EU had to do to ensure that “our fishing ports do not become marinas” should not be forgotten. Carmen Fraga Estévez (EPP-ED, Spain) called on member states not to dilly-dally any longer over the eco-labelling of fisheries products. Heinz Kindermann (SPD) said he thought the EU should go on the offensive to bring about its objective of sustainable fisheries. He wondered, too, about possibly reducing controls on vessels at sea to concentrate effort and funds on inspections in landing ports. James Hugh Allister (Ulster Unionist Party) suggested closer examination of the amount of European eels and eel-fare exported to Asian countries. He also wondered the extent to which, in future, the EU could, when setting total allowable catches (TACs), take account of the warming of the oceans on fish stocks. Several MEPs complained of the red tape “which is taking over fishermen's lives”, and this is an issue which the German presidency, in cooperation with the European Commission, has promised to address.
Mr Seehofer said he supported controls which were intelligently and appropriately organised, rather than all-out procedures. The aim, he felt, should be to be smarter than the fisheries cheats. He supported sustainable fisheries, which was not, he said, a playground for environmental hardliners. (lc)