The European Commission, on 19 September, adopted a proposal to amend three Regulations that relate to the use of drift nets by introducing a definition of these nets.
The Commission believes that this single definition will simplify and increase transparency in the EU legislation on this fishing gear.
In today’s proposal, the Commission’s definition is as follows "drift net means any gillnet held on the sea surface or at a certain distance below it by floating devices, drifting with the current either independently or with the boat to which it may be attached. It may be equipped with devices aiming to stabilise the net and/or to limit its drifting.”
The Regulations concerned by this proposal are: the 1997 Regulation on technical measures for the conservation of fisheries resources (No 894/97) as amended by Regulation 1239/98, the Regulation on the protection of small cetaceans (No 812/2004; see press release) and the Regulation on technical measures in the Baltic Sea (No 2187/2005).
Legislation has to evolve with fishing methods and the extension of the zones it covers as well as with changes in the governance of the Common Fisheries Policy such as the establishment of the Regional Advisory Councils.
The initial phasing out of driftnets in fisheries for highly migratory species such as tuna and swordfish leading to the complete ban from 1 January 2002 was made necessary by the incidental catches of protected species such as small cetaceans.
In 2004, the Council decided to extend this protection to the Baltic Sea through the introduction of a gradual ban on driftnets, from 1 January 2005 until complete prohibition by January 2008.
