EU plans radical overhaul of fishing policy
Date: 22-Mar-01
Country: EU
EU Farm and Fisheries Commissioner Franz Fischler said his radical new "Green Paper" was designed to make Europe's fishing sector more sustainable and to reduce the 1.1 billion euros ($993.7 million) in public aid spent supporting the industry annually.
"The CFP needs urgent change: many of the most important fish stocks are on the verge of collapse. We are catching too many fish too young, which is seriously hindering the renewal of fish stocks." Fischler said in a statement.
In January the Commission said it had been forced to take emergency measures to close off areas of the North Sea to cod fishing during the spring spawning time in a move that sparked anger amongst Scottish trawlermen.
But Fischler argued that cod stocks were close to extinction due to years of over-fishing and drastic action was needed.
The new blueprint will now be put to the EU's fishing industry for debate before a final proposal, which should lead to a new CFP in January 2003, the Commission said.
Fischler said the sector must become self-sufficient, profitable and self-financing. It must also respond to scientific advice and develop environmentally sensitive fishing methods, he added.
He called for a system of fishing quotas, which lasted beyond a single season, so that dwindling stocks such as hake and cod had the time to rebuild themselves.
There must also be incentives for states to make significant efforts to cut fleet capacity and stamp out illegal fishing.
The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) criticised the plans for not going far enough in proposing concrete reforms but welcomed the fact they highlighted current problems in the sector.
"The Green Paper acknowledges that the existing policy has led to over-fishing, that there are too many boats chasing too few fish, that substantial public subsidies fuel overfishing and that the EU's fisheries agreements with third countries disadvantage developing countries." said Julie Cator, WWF's European Fisheries Coordinator.