Brussels, 26/09/2008 (Agence Europe) - “Common Fisheries Policy: what will be the guidelines for future reform of conservation and management policy for the fishing fleet in relation to energy security and dependency?” Michel Barnier, French Fisheries Minister, is convening his EU counterparts to a meeting to discuss this question on Monday 29 September, in Brussels. Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) established in 1983 and reformed last in 2002, is to be the subject of review by 2012 at the latest. The French Presidency hopes to draw “guidelines” from this informal meeting of European fisheries ministers with a view to CFP reform.
Fundamental principles. In a working document intended to fuel ministerial debate, the French Presidency explains that the CFP is based on a regime of equal access to waters and resources for all Community fisheries, throughout waters under EU member state jurisdiction. One major exception concerns the 6/12 mile regime, which allows a certain amount of protection for coastal fisheries of one member state while acknowledging the historic rights of fisheries from other member states. Ministers will be looking at the following question: - Should one maintain or develop these fundamental provisions?
CFP tools. Conservation policy is based on various tools (limited catch and fishing effort, regulations on fishing fleets). These tools are sometimes applied on their own, sometimes jointly, as in the management plans and the plans for recovery of endangered fish or crustacean species. Several points may be tackled: - CFP objectives, their precision and their priority looked at from the various economic, social or biological and environmental aspects; - Should the TAC and quotas regime remain the cornerstone of CFP? - What improvements are possible when it comes to fleet management (return to a form of multiannual guidance planning, or MAGPs?); - What are the possible improvements that can be made to the process of fixing fishing possibilities (improving the responsiveness of scientific opinions towards changes in stocks, generalising multiannual management plans for TACs and fishing effort)?
Quota management modalities. Once shared out between operators, fishing possibilities constitute as many rights to access to the resources available. There is consensus about the fact that the management arrangements for these rights of access are of great importance. Questions are: - Should relative stability be broken and a transferable individual quota market established at European scale? - Should one on the contrary retain status quo with, in the context of relative stability, each member state deciding its own policy for allocating fishing rights, in complete implementation of subsidiarity? - Can one envisage an intermediary development, for example by maintaining relative stability while providing specifications for the management of fishing rights by member states? These specifications could, for example, comprise the obligation of allocating, at individual level, quotas of stocks that are the subject of a recovery plan, at least for the larger vessels.
Governance. Those working in the fisheries sector are consulted within the consultative committee for fisheries and aquaculture and regional consultative councils. Should the way of involving the sector be developed?
Fleet management arrangements. For about 20 years, fishing vessels have often been ill designed as they have to reconcile a limit to their gauge with optimal catch techniques. These vessels consume too much fuel as they lack streamlining. Also, as the vessels are not stable, they are dangerous. Should one seek more relevant parameters for defining the way the fleet is managed?
French oral defence in favour of new vessels
In a document handed to the European fishing ministers, Georges Tourret, President of the Institut maritime de prevention (France), specifies that the average age of the fishing fleet has increased in France from 15.4 years of age in 1991 to 24 years in 2008 with an ageing of 6 months per year. “The same trend can be noted in Europe but to a lesser extent, albeit worrying”, the text states. The impact of an ageing fleet on security and working conditions, as well as on operating costs and energy expenditure in particular, is “direct and proven”, the author writes. He considers it “essential” to gradually replace a large part of the older ships by new vessels, able not only to provide better working conditions but also greater security and reduced fuel consumption. The only hitch is: - Community legislation has (since 2005) prevented public aid for the building of new vessels and restricts premiums for the modernisation of fishing fleets. (L.C./transl.jl)