| Author (Person) | Smith, Emily |
|---|---|
| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.12, No.20, 24.5.06 |
| Publication Date | 24/05/2006 |
| Content Type | News |
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By Emily Smith Date: 24/05/06 The European Commission this week will set out plans for a simpler way to decide the number of fish to be caught in Europe each year. The annual December Fisheries Council, at which ministers agree catch sizes for the following year, is famous for running into all-night arguments over the latest European Commission proposal to reduce catches and bring fish stocks back to healthy levels. A policy paper published on Wednesday (24 May) suggests splitting the ordeal in two, with some total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas agreed in October and the rest falling to the end of the year as before. Commissioner Joe Borg said that while the Commission needed to work with the most up-to-date scientific advice, the decisions should not be taken under pressure of time. A Commission spokes-man said that "everyone agrees that we need to do something", adding that the current system gave no one enough time to think through the implications of proposed TACs and quotas. In the past this had even led to "silly mistakes", she said, such as forgetting part of the North Sea altogether at one Council of Ministers meeting. Perhaps more importantly, the Commission hopes that giving fishermen and governments more time to think about proposed TACs and quotas before agreeing them will mean there is "more chance they are complied with". As things stand, many member states feel resentful at being rushed into adopting 'commands' from the Commission, which could lead to widespread flouting of the rules. Catch quotas would be agreed in October for fish such as herring and mackerel, since scientific reports on the health of these stocks are usually available in the summer. The most valuable fish stocks, including cod and haddock, would, however, still have to be agreed in December. The Commission also proposes publishing its strategy and working assumptions for management of fish stocks in April each year, giving Europe a general idea of what to expect once the scientific advice is out. This would start talks with the fishing sector at an early stage. Industry and environmentalists both welcomed the proposed changes. Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, said that he was optimistic about the proposed changes. "We think this could work and we are hoping it will," he said. Armstrong added that the industry's desire was "to get as much warning as possible...we need a more coherent decision-making process". "Anything that lessens the magnitude of the December Council has got to be welcome - at the moment it is like sudden death at the end of the year," he said. Saskia Richartz of Greenpeace, the conservation group, said it was "definitely positive to split up the decisions. It should focus decisions more on individual stocks and there will be less horse-trading between different quotas." But she warned that in the long run the decision would only be good news for fish stocks if ministers committed themselves to listening to the scientific advice.
The European Commission on 24 May 2006 presented a Communication setting out plans for a simpler way to decide the number of fish to be caught in Europe each year. |
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| Subject Categories | Business and Industry |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
