The European Commission has adopted a proposal for a Council regulation to adapt the cod fishing quotas allocated to Poland in the eastern Baltic over the period 2008-2011.
Based on official catch reports, the Polish quota for eastern Baltic cod in 2007 was exceeded by 8000 tonnes. The main reasons for this overshoot were a deficient control and enforcement scheme and a fleet whose capacity to catch cod is disproportionate with the available fishing opportunities.
Given the Polish authorities' commitment to remedying this situation, and the severe socio-economic consequences which would be suffered by the Polish fishing fleet if it were required to pay back the entire overshoot in a single year, the Commission is proposing that the payback be staggered over four years, from 2008 to 2011. This arrangement, however, is conditional on Poland taking adequate action to improve control and enforcement in this fishery and to reduce fleet overcapacity. Progress towards these goals will be subject to annual review.
Under the arrangement proposed by the Commission, Poland will pay back 10% of the amount overfished in 2008, and a further 30% in each of the years 2009, 2010 and 2011.
