EC backs down over drastic cuts

After 'heated talks' drew to a close before Christmas, the European Commission (EC) backed down from its original proposals to ban fishing altogether in some areas which included the fishing of cod in the North Sea.

There is also to be a draft multi-annual plan in place by 2007 to apply protection to certain deep sea stocks. Fishing effort this year has been reduced by 10 per cent and by a further 15 per cent for the following two years.

EU Commissioner Joe Borg (pictured) said: "I think it is important to emphasise the constructive way in which this whole process has been carried out. The Commission started the ball rolling very early on so as to allow consultation with stakeholders," he said.

"We listened to their concerns and looked for alternatives to drastic cuts."

Original proposals included the reduction of catch allowance by 60 per cent for herring, 27 per cent for mackerel and up to 4 per cent for cod.

Instead the TAC for anchovy in the Bay of Biscay, which the Commission had proposed to set at 5,000 tonnes, has been fixed at 30,000 tonnes for the whole year.

Elsewhere fishing effort in the North Sea for white fish fleet has been reduced by one day or two days on the west coast. The TAC for cod in the eastern Baltic stock has been set at 39,000 with a temporary closure of four and a half months. A closure of two months has been set for the western baltic cod stock.

The Council and the Commission have stated their commitment to the establishment of a long-term management plan for cod in the Baltic.

In the Iberian Peninsula, vessels that have caught more than five tonnes in 2001, 2002 or 2003 will be allocated 22 days at sea to catch hake. Portugese fleets will receive 24 days per month for 11 months.

The Commission also announced plans to help aid recovery for hake and Norwegian lobster.

Joe Borg also called for better enforcement to guarantee a level playing field, ensuring complying nations are not hindered by those engaged in illegal fishing.

Cod recovery

The table (right) shows the maximum days in any calendar month for which a vessel may be present in the areas concerned* and absent from port by fishing gear:

a) demersal trawls, seines or similar towed gear of mesh size equal to or greater than 100mm except for beam trawls for all areas except Kattegat and Skagerrak where this mesh size will be greater than 90mm;

b) beam trawls of mesh size equal to or greater than 80mm;

c) static demersal nets including gill nets, trammel nets and tangle nets;

d) demersal longlines;

e) demersal trawls, seines or similar towed gear of similar size between 70mm and 99mm except beam trawls with mesh size between 80mm and 99mm for all areas except Kattegat and Skagerrak where this mesh size will be between 70mm and 89 mm;

f) demersal trawls, seines or similar towed gear of mesh size between 16mm and 31mm except beam trawls.

However, the maximum number of days for vessels carrying on board gear described in point a) above will be 8 for West of Scotland and 10 for the Irish Sea.

A fishing day scheme has been agreed for the sole stock in the Western Channel with 20 days for the vessels concerned. In order to encourage the use of more selective gear, vessels using mesh size of 120mm in gear described in point a) above, will receive one extra day (3 days in Skagerrak and Kattegat for gear using 120mm mesh size combined with square mesh panels), provided that the Member States concerned develop in 2005 a system of automatic suspension of fishing licences in case of infringements and are prepared to support closed areas in waters where they are fishing and where scientific advice indicates that existing effort control measures are not sufficient to achieve recovery plan objectives.

Control and enforcement

The Commission will present proposals to improve control measures in relation to the recovery plan for cod. These will include: with regard to the obligation to land cod in designated ports, the threshold will be decreased from 2 to 1 tonne. The Commission will review the appropriate percentage of the cod landings to be inspected in such ports. Transhipment of cod at sea will be forbidden. The Council and the Commission have declared their commitment, to developing, in 2005, measures on the issuing and withdrawal of licences and other measures to improve enforcement.