14 October Fisheries Council

Date: 17/10/1996

FISHERIES ministers launched a savage attack on the European Commission's plans to reduce fishing capacity by up to 40&percent; depending on the species and region, at their meeting in Luxembourg. Fisheries Commissioner Emma Bonino stressed that cuts were needed, but said she was prepared to show flexibility. Speaking after the talks, one official claimed cuts would be more likely to total just 2-3&percent; per year over the six-year duration of the next 'Multi-Annual Guidance Programme'. The Commission expressed a willingness to make greater use of effort reduction measures and technical provisions to help protect endangered fish stocks. One minister after another questioned the basis of the proposals, demanded greater flexibility and called for longer term aid for poor fishing communities. Many asked for the derogation for small-scale coastal fisheries to be extended to vessels of up to 14 metres, rather than seven as the Commission has proposed.

THERE was friction between UK minister Tony Baldry and his Spanish counterpart Loyola de Palacio, who strongly objected to the UK's attack on 'quota hoppers'. De Palacio stressed that freedom of movement was one of the cornerstones of Union policy and that quota hoppers were being dealt with in the Intergovernmental Conference discussions. She said Spain should be rewarded for the progress it had made during the current round of fleet cuts. Irish minister Sean Barrett said he planned bilateral meetings with his colleagues to draw up a compromise in time for the next meeting of fisheries ministers on 22 November.

MINISTERS reached political agreement on a compromise to revise fish marketing standards from January 2000. Agreement was reached after the Irish presidency suggested delaying the exclusion of category “B” fish from Union financial aid and allowing producer groups to continue giving aid from their own resources. In future, only “extra” and “A” categories will be eligible for EU aid. The text also simplifies the 'freshness' criteria and is aimed at improving marketing quality.

THE meeting failed to strike a political agreement on a satellite system for monitoring fishing vessels. The main stumbling block was the size of vessels to be covered by the scheme. The Commission had suggested 18 metres as the minimum size. The Irish presidency put forward a compromise of 24 metres, but failed to gain the necessary support for this to be agreed. Officials said this would more than halve the number of vessels covered from 9,000 to 4,000. Bonino said another move to exclude vessels fishing for under 72 hours was even more difficult to accept. Barrett welcomed the Commission's willingness to fund all the capital investment cost of installing the equipment. The system is due to begin in 1997 and then be extended from 1999. But several member states said the start-up dates should be delayed as the practical details must first be better defined.

MINISTERS adopted conclusions on improving fisheries controls in Union waters, calling for greater transparency, coordination and cooperation between member states in implementing the EU's fisheries control system.

COUNCIL had its first opportunity to consider the Commission's proposals to harmonise technical measures for the conservation of fishery resources. There was general agreement on the need to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of equipment used by the Union's fishermen to protect juvenile fish. Ministers underlined the importance of meaningful consultations with the fishing industry and expressed the hope that considerable progress could be made at their meeting in November.