The industry has expressed concern over the European Commission’s proposal to establish a multi-annual plan for demersal stocks in the North Sea.
Europêche said although it largely welcomes the plan, certain measures adopted by the EP, such as the introduction of multiannual fishing quotas for certain stocks, pose a threat to the implementation of the landing obligation.
Pim Visser, VisNed/Europêche, said: “We are however deeply concerned that in its current form, as proposed by the EP, this plan will be hindering managers in carrying out their fishing operations in a sustainable and economically viable way.”
“The stipulations as formulated by the EP Committee on Fisheries will lead to quota setting for certain species which will be choking the mixed demersal fisheries in the North Sea.”
Europêche said it appreciates the establishment of different ranges instead of point targets, within which the Council can set the annual Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and achieve sustainable levels for the stocks covered by the plan at the latest by 2020.
But it criticises the artificial split of the ranges which is scientifically non-justifiable. A range is a range and should be valid from the lower beginning until the upper end.
Contrary to the EP position, Europêche considers that recreational fisheries should not be covered by this plan since the activity is not regulated by Common Fisheries Policy and there has been no impact assessment performed.
“We believe that the current design can be and must be further improved in order to make the plan flexible and responsive to the evolving realities of fisheries,” Mr Visser said.
