Compromise sought over managing produce of seas

Date: 03/06/04

Cornish fishermen at odds with the Commission about effective fish-stock management are just the tip of the iceberg, writes Elisabeth Jeffries NEWLYN is an ancient fishing village in a bay facing St Michael's Mount, Britain's Cornish answer to the Mont St Michel in Brittany. The port is described by a 2002 consultant's report as "the most valuable fishing port in England and Wales, [with] a range of species sold across the UK and Europe", and its fishermen have for years been battling with French, Spanish and Irish competitors, scientists and the European Commission about the most effective way to manage the sea's produce.

"Maybe we're the last hunter-gatherer industry … with a romantic idea of man against nature," suggests Paul Trebilcock, head of the Cornish Fish Producers Organization based at Newlyn, trying to explain the "cultural gulf" that he says has "grown between the practitioners [fishermen] and regulators". Despite the fishermen's headstrong campaigning, it is a battle that has on many occasions been lost in the UK. In 1999, for example, 75% of hake fishing capacity was decommissioned as a result of a quota slash.

Now Newlyn's fishing business is the centre of a counterpunch aimed at the Commission's directorate-general for fisheries and promoting a "bottom-up" approach to fisheries management. Launched in April, the three-year €2.4m Invest in Fish South-West project brings stakeholders together to find the best long-term profitable sustainable solution for the area. If it succeeds, it could halt the industry's decline and set an example for fisheries management right across the EU.

Processors, a Japanese restaurant chain called Moshi Moshi, retailer Marks & Spencer, the World Wide Fund for Nature, and representatives of sea angling associations are among those involved. Each will put forward scenarios for improving fishing in the region that will then be assessed using cost-benefit analysis. They could include closing the season for certain species at certain times of the year or using certain types of net.

"The Commission has used a template according to a fish rather than a fishery, but any management plan needs to take into account the character of individual fleets," explains Trebilcock. He cites the example of cod in which he believes that a recovery plan based on North Sea characteristics was wrongly superimposed on fishing in the English Channel, Celtic and other western seas which he says show different patterns.

He says his organization may put forward the idea of a closed season for cod in the Spring to allow it to breed. Another likely proposal for all fish is to move away from the quota system and towards effort control that limits the number of days a boat is allowed to go to sea. The goal will be to allow stocks to rise, though he believes that "the situation is still robust in the majority of stocks".

Given the differing interests, it is an ambitious plan. Mike Barry, environment manager of Marks & Spencer, says the company will not get into the "micro-management of the fishery" but wants to make sure that whatever the final outcome, "everyone has bought into it". Nevertheless he admits that "some solutions proposed may have an impact on how we buy, for example: if there's a proposal to stop fishing at certain times of year, that may affect our business and so we'll have input into that".

Sea anglers are likely to take a third view. If their needs were put above those of deep sea fishers, the characteristics of the industry would alter considerably. Last but not least are the interests of fishermen from neighbouring countries. "Foreign fleets are not in the steering group but will be consulted throughout the process," states Jennifer Storemski, communications officer for the programme.

The final scenario will be presented to EU authorities at the end of the three years. In Brussels, the introduction of Regional Advisory Councils in May shows a move towards local decision-making. "The work that Invest in Fish does could feed into discussions that go into the councils", said project manager Nathan de Rosarieux.

• Elisabeth Jeffries is a UK-based freelance journalist.

In April 2004 a project was launched to find the best long-term profitable sustainable solution for sea fishing in South-West England. Invest In Fish South-west claims to be the first project in the UK to fully engage all fishing industry groups including fishermen, anglers, scientists, retailers, restaurateurs and environmentalists in a bid to find the best economic solution to the management of fish stocks and the wider marine environment.

• Primary Source

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