Brussels, 11/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 10 December, the European Commission, negotiating on behalf of the European Union, and Norway reached agreement on the 2009 fishing possibilities which they jointly manage and can exchange. The hard-won agreement will mean a 30% increase in next year's cod TAC (total allowable catch) for European and Norwegian vessels operating in the North Sea. The two parties also agreed measures to reduce fish discards. The EU-Norway bilateral agreement is expected to be transposed in the Community regulation on TACs and quotas for 2009. EU fisheries ministers are likely to reach agreement on setting volumes of catches in Brussels on Friday 19 December. This agreement with the Norwegians will make Fisheries Council negotiations easier.
Jointly managed North Sea stocks. There will be a 30% rise in the 2009 cod TAC, to 28,798 tonnes (with 4,896 tonnes going to Norway and 23,902 tonnes to the EU). The agreement will also mean:
- a 9.3% reduction in the 2009 haddock TAC, down to 42,110 tonnes (8,685 for Norway and 33,425 tonnes for the EU; - a 7.3% reduction in the saithe TAC, to 125,934 tonnes (65,486 tonnes for Norway and 60,448 tonnes for the EU; - a reduction of 15% in the whiting TAC (1,517 tonnes for Norway and 13,656 tonnes for the EU; - a 13% increase in the plaice TAC (2,885 tonnes for Norway and 52,615 tonnes for the EU);
- a 30% increase in mackerel (41,307 tonnes for Norway and 22,518 tonnes for the EU); - and a 15% reduction in herring (49,590 tonnes for Norway and 121,410 tonnes for the EU).
Quota exchange. Norway will be granted fishing rights for various species in the Community area and in Greenland waters, in exchange for fishing possibilities for Community vessels in Norwegian waters. At the heart of this exchange is trading arctic cod (cod fished by Community vessels in Norwegian waters) for blue whiting that the Norwegian fleet can catch in community waters. The agreement will see Norway grant EU vessels 57% of the 22% increase in arctic cod in 2009 (compared with 2008), with the possibility of more to be granted during the course of the year. In exchange, the EU will surrender some 63,000 tonnes of blue whiting to Norway.
Technical measures. The EU has committed itself to minimising and, ultimately, eradicating discards of fish from depleted stocks, which include cod. The measures to be phased in by the EU are:
- real-time area closures to protect juvenile and undersized fish concentrations; - more selective fishing gear to prevent cod catches; - a ban on the practice of “high grading” which sees legally caught but less valuable fish discarded in order to increase the final value of the total catch. (L.C./transl.rt)