It was a “good thing” European commissioner for maritime affairs and fisheries Maria Damanaki invited the industry, scientists, fishermen’s associations, politicians, NGOs, the press and the public for “open discussions on the latest scientific research” on the state of the main fish stocks in European waters.
The September meet might also cut the customary fighting when fisheries ministers came to set catch levels for 2011; and she touched on “our aim of achieving a root-and-branch reform of the CFP…[from] financial aid and regionalisation to tradable fishing rights and support for small-scale fishermen”.
Damanaki homed in on scientific advice. “Taking science as our starting point is the only possible approach,” she said. “This means it is up to us to ensure that scientists actually get the information they need to make their assessments.”
Then, peering into the abyss and opening Pandora’s Box inside Davy Jones’ locker, she said: “I’m sorry to say that that does not always happen in practice.”
Too often information was lacking, the data were wrong or contradictory and fish were missing. There were large amounts of discards or illegal landings, which member states failed to catalogue with their other poor data.
Quality data for bottom-up reform of the CFP was needed alongside good management measures at the “local level to demonstrate that regionalisation is worth doing”, she said.
The commissioner deserves credit for admitting the data mess on which the Commission has based too many wrong decisions in the past. As her first such seminar as commissioner, “I for one am looking forward to today's discussions,” she said. So, some were disappointed when she then appeared to disappear.
That gap between science fiction and reality remains very big. That gap is largely because those who catch daily should better know what the daily catch is. Michael Andersen, of the Danish Fishermen’s Association, headlined his talk with: ‘Even if scientists were right’, the big difference is: ‘Fishers are present “always”’ and ‘scientists are present “once”’.
Back at the ranch
Andersen was speaking on behalf of the fishermen’s catching sectors of the ACFA. That stands for the Advisory Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture. Europe’s grounds can’t meet its appetite for wild fish so it relies heavily on the rest of the world.
But is there a solution with more European farmed? Certainly not across the board, if one is to judge by the debate in London that ‘UK aquaculture production should at least double by 2020’.
The smarter investor may decide that he should head for warmer climes, fish in hot water and areas where safe water, that ever more expensive estuarine-coastal or inland commodity, will be in plentiful supply for the duration.
The debate was put together under the guiding hand of Chris Leftwich, chief inspector to the Fishmongers’ Company, whose ancient premises sit on the bank of a much-cleaned up and now fish-friendly (even finicky sea horses are back) River Thames at London Bridge.
There were four discussions and votes focusing on salmon, shellfish, trout and emerging farmed species (such as halibut). The room was awash with doctorates, many of them working hands-on in the industry. Some played devil’s advocate such as Dr Tom Pickerell of the Shellfish Association of Great Britain. He accepted the poisoned chalice and argued, contrary to his own beliefs, persuasively that production could not be doubled.
Pickerell was naturally delighted when the floor overwhelmingly rejected his ‘pretend’ anti-agenda, and voted that shellfish could be doubled. The doubters seemed to win on the other products however.
For WF, among all the nuances and detail, two fundamental warnings stood out. Dr Martin Jaffa, of marketing consultants Callander McDowell, suggested that Europe did not have the space or the warm waters needed to double production. We would see the hotter zones in the Far East, some parts of Africa and other areas in Latin America leading the charge for the doubling of farmed product.
Jaffa was not alone in pointing out the pollution risks (real or imagined among consumers lobbied by the NGOs) escapee risks and sea lice infestations. Various speakers attached warning labels to the high cost of enclosed systems in colder climates. These need teams of costly, highly qualified graduate staff to run them and often fail long-term financial sustainability.
Open, near-shore and brackish water systems also had to contend with unregulated over-exploited seed collection. Clean water volumes were declining.
Disease risks to consumers (Norovirus) were on the increase because of urban growth in estuary and riverine areas and conflict between various on-water user interests. Where land and labour are more freely and more cheaply available (and water can be assured) in some ‘developing’ countries, the chances of financial success and doubling production were much greater.
The lack of available quality water and the impact of increasing water demand by a booming global population must be clarified as priorities before local investment is undertaken. It may look “here today” but may well be “gone tomorrow”.
The water predictions for the UK may also be reflected across the northern hemisphere. Vast new farms may only be feasible, for example, in some desert-sea areas of the Middle East for example, fed by the sea.
The indicators for the UK are far from good. Only 0.5% of UK waters for shellfish farming (the best seafood category for UK doubling of production) meet the required ‘Class A’ water standard.
Shaun Leonard of The Wild Trout Trust displayed a continuing and severe decline in available UK watershed and river resources over the next decades. The northern hemisphere trout farming sector is not big anyway. While it provides part-time employment for a fair number of workers, it faces serious funding problems which are exacerbated by supermarket price purchasing pressures.
High-value shellfish production in northern Europe is booming and “moules fermières”, the pack leader, is on evermore plates. But if tempted into bed by a farming Siren, remember the old saying – “there are plenty of other fish in the sea”.
Better local management and a reformed CFP could mean wild bets are safer than cod farming.
