Polish fishermen caught in EU net

The revised EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) could face its greatest ever test in the coming weeks, as the European Commission bids to prevent unreported fishing wiping out important species.

The CFP, launched in the 1970s, was revised in 2002 to reduce the amount of fishing in EU waters and to increase government and industry support for the way in which fishing quotas are agreed. Instead of one annual Fisheries Council at which quotas for all stocks were decided during lengthy talks, the European Commission now operates two annual Councils for different fish stocks and multi-annual management plans containing long-term conservation targets.

But many of the most popular fish, including cod and tuna, are still causing problems.

A Commission proposal publihsed on Monday (3 September), to be voted on by governments on 22-23 October, called for cuts of 23%-33% in the Baltic cod quota. Denmark and Poland have both already said that the proposal is unacceptable.

France and Italy this summer closed their Mediterranean bluefin tuna fisheries, following claims that illegal fishing had also brought this species to the brink of extinction. Pressure from conservation groups is now mounting for a total ban on bluefin tuna fishing, which would affect other EU countries such as Spain and Malta.

The Commission on 29 June this year launched legal action against Poland for ignoring cod catch quotas set at EU level. Warsaw was given two months to respond. Officials said they had received no reply.

A series of Commission inspections also suggested that Poland was only declaring one-third of the cod caught by fishermen. In July, following Poland’s decision to take no action, the Commission, for the first time in CFP history, announced it was closing the east Baltic Sea fishery.

Joe Borg, the European fisheries commissioner, will discuss the problem with Grzegorz Halubek, the new Polish fisheries minister, on Friday (7 September).

The EU has often struggled to make fishermen obey the law. The highest fine ever handed out for a breach of EU law went to France in 2005, for failing to respect fisheries conservation rules during 11 years. France paid a one-off fine of €20 million and was supposed to pay €57.8m every six months if the situation was not remedied. But the French government challenged the second part of the fine in court.

A Commission fisheries spokeswoman said that she hoped the 2002 CFP reform meant that the EU had more chance of seeing swift changes to fisheries practices than would have been possible a decade ago.

The new Community Fisheries Control Agency (CFCA) is making it easier to enforce catch quotas, she said. The CFCA in July managed a North Sea inspection project which saw member states pooling surveillance to check up on fishing boats. A similar project is expected for the Baltic Sea in early 2008.

She said that the new Regional Advisory Councils were making it easier for fishermen to play a role in fisheries policies. "Involvement means greater responsibility," said the spokeswoman, "and commitment to the success of the measures agreed."

The multi-annual plans and a new European Fisheries Fund offering money to move fishermen into new jobs could also make the enforcement of quotas less painful.

"It all takes time but these changes should bear fruit," said the spokeswoman.

Saskia Richartz of Greenpeace, the conservation group, said that EU markets should follow an example set by food companies Birds Eye and McDonald’s. Both multinationals announced in August that they would stop sourcing cod from the east Baltic Sea until stocks showed signs of recovery.

But the biggest challenge could be Commissioner Borg’s meeting this week with Minister Halubek, who took up his job this August after years as head of the Polish Fisherman’s Union. Soon after his appointment, Halubek said that Poland would fish without Commission approval if the Eastern Baltic fishery was not reopened.

During his time with the fisherman’s union, Halubek said: "All Polish fishermen fish above their quotas…because if they did not they would die of hunger."

The revised EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) could face its greatest ever test in the coming weeks, as the European Commission bids to prevent unreported fishing wiping out important species.