Article 47.

[davem2005]

Article 47 was discussed at the Northumbia SFC meeting held yesterday and it was unanimously decided that the committee should write to all NE MEP's and MP's to ask for their support in getting article 47 removed from the Reform Policy.

So we are not alone and it cannot be that often that a SFC 100% agrees with RSA's on an RSA issue. I will be forwarding them some additional info so they can get the right message off to the MEP's.

The only other matter discussed relevant to anglers is that Defra have signed the new bylaw 14 so it will now become a legally binding bylaw and this would mean that if you plan to put down a pot (max 5) it MUST have a tag on it issued by the SFC.

Cheers
Dave

[PaulGH]

I thought you already had to have tags on your pots? I've just renewed my 'limited shell fish permit' which covers 10 pots? or is that something different?

[davem2005]

Hi Paul .

That sounds like the one for the south of the tyne which is the NESFC.

Not to be confused with the NSFC who are introducing a similar bylaw

Cheers
Dave

[mark]

just been covered on Country File

catch it on iplayer:

BBC iPlayer - Home

[loopy]

Update

Written answersWednesday, 4 February 2009
Environment Food and Rural AffairsCommon Fisheries Policy Richard Benyon (Shadow Minister, Environment, Food & Rural Affairs; Newbury, Conservative) To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2009, Official Report, column 1587W, on the Common Fisheries Policy,

(1) when he plans (a) to complete a detailed impact assessment of the proposals and (b) formally to consult on the proposals; and if will make a statement;(2) when he plans to make a formal response to the Council of Ministers and the European Commission on Article 47 of the proposed Council Regulation establishing a community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy;(3) with reference to the provisions of Article 47 of the proposed Council Regulation establishing a community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy, how much quota he plans to allocate to recreational sea anglers, broken down by species in each fishing area and expressed as a percentage of overall national quota; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Ogmore, Labour)

My officials are currently engaged in discussions with the EU presidency, the Commission and other member states over the detail of the Commission's proposal for a council regulation establishing a community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy. As part of that discussion, officials will be asking the Commission for further clarification on the intent of article 47. Once we have that clarification, we will be able to better understand the potential impact of article 47 as drafted, including the implications for quota, and can then respond formally to the council. My intention is to consult on the proposal by the end of February. An initial impact assessment will form part of that consultation.

Fisheries: QuotasAll Written Answers on 4 Feb 2009 « Previous answer Next answer » Richard Benyon (Shadow Minister, Environment, Food & Rural Affairs; Newbury, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the inclusion of recreational sea angling catches in national quota derives from recommendations of the Quota Management Change Programme.

Huw Irranca-Davies (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Ogmore, Labour

The proposal to count recreational sea angling catches, in certain circumstances, against a member state's quota forms part of the recently published Commission proposal for a Council regulation establishing a community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy. The UK Government had no discussions with the Commission prior to the publication of the proposal.




Common Fisheries Policy: 4 Feb 2009: Written answers (TheyWorkForYou.com)

[Karl]

Email sent

[big sid]

Article 47

In the March issue of Total Sea Fishing turn to page 14 article headed as "words of warning" in the article there's a web site address UK Independence Party if you visit the site you can sign the petition to have article 47 dropped.It also gives an address so you can contact your MEP for your area.

[loopy]

Update

Common sense creeping in or just pressure from RSA via MEP's

10 Feb 09 - From a speech today by Jo Borg Member of the European
Commission - Responsible for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs


Rapid - Press Releases - EUROPA

Before I come to the end of my intervention let me say a few words about our proposal to reform the way we control fisheries activities in the future.
The most famous words contained in our proposal must be the words "recreational fishing". In some Member States our proposals in this regard have been misinterpreted alarming citizens that the Commission wants to start controlling millions of hobby anglers and impose quota restrictions on them. This would obviously be a crazy thing to do, and it is therefore not at all our intention to implement such a ludicrous system. Let me make clear once and for all that the hobby angler who catches a few kilos of fish every time he goes out fishing and uses it for his private consumption, will not be covered by the control regulation, even if he catches fish like cod which is under a recovery plan.
There are however facts and figures in abundance that show that certain forms of so called recreational fishing have a dangerously considerable impact on certain vulnerable fish stock. We cannot just keep restricting severely professional fishing on those stocks but give the recreational fishermen a free ride. They have to contribute as well to the conservation effort. It is with this balance in mind that the Commission will approach the issue in the context of negotiations.
We look forward to working with you on this question, on the whole control regulation and of course also on the reform of our policy. In any event, I know that we at the Commission can always rely on the Parliament to stimulate and support us in improving the lot of Europe's citizens.

[willywetegg]

Cheer's for that Loopy, I doubt very much we would have heard anything like that if anglers had not voiced their concerns. Thank you to all of the MEPs that backed our Emails and took the time to answer us all.

Jim.

[mark]

what a complete load of euro spin PR ****e

para 1: "it would be crazy to impose quote restrictions on anglers"

para 2: "we cannot give recreational fisherman a free ride"

one negates the other and is nothing more than politico speak to make it look like they really care and take the heat off for a bit while they press ahead regardless

[loopy]

I may be wrong but you might find that RSA in say Italy is going out in a boat with a net and catching a lot of Blue fin Tuna then taking it ashore and selling it. Other European countries have a similar definition of RSA it is this community I understand that Article 47 was geared for, in other words the definition of RSA had to clarified before we were all tarred with the same brush. I do hope it is not spin, as the words used seem quite specific for our definition of RSA. My understanding is we have the Irish to thank.
My glass is half full

[big sid]

47

After reading the article headed "WORDS OF WARNING" in the March issue of Total Sea Fishing magazine. I followed the words of advise and contacted the given address UK Independence Party and signed the petition.
I then went on to e-mail Fiona Hall MEP and Stephen Hughes MEP requesting that they act to have article 47 deleted.Below are their replies.

From Stephen Hughes.
Re:Community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy and recreational angling.
Thank you for your email letting me know about your concern that article 47 of the control requlation may bring recreational anglers within the scope of the CFP and its quota regime.
The EPLP fisheries spokesperson Catherine Stihler,MEP,shares your concerns of the scope of article 47,what kind of anglers it applies to,and practicalities of this proposal and will support its deletion.Within the European Parliament a timetable has now been set with the vote in commitee on 31 March and the final plenary vote during the week starting 20 April.
I hope this information is helpful.
Yours sincerley
Stephen Hughes.

Reply from Fiona Hall MEP.
Thank you for your email about article 47 of the Control Regulation.i share your concerns over this.
Unfortunately,the Article is not clearly drafted,but as far as I can understand it the European Commission intends it to apply only where there is a multi-annual (recovery)plan,for stocks outside safe biological limits,such as with cod and blue fin tuna and where the fishing is done from onboard a vessel.This means that it would not affect most recreational sea fisheries including any done from onshore,or angling on inland waters.
As I understand it, the Commission's concern is with the substantial amounts that are caught by some recreational fisheries in relation to the species covered by the multi annual recovery plans.Foe example, it is estimated that in Italy(2007),800 tonnes of blue fin tuna were caught by recreational fishers whilst the national quota is around 4,300 tonnes.On my reading,too, the Article is intended to prevent commercial fishing under the guise of recreational fishing.
That said Article 47 sets a precedent of which we should be very wary.My Liberal Democrat colleauge Elspeth Attwooll sits on the Fisheries Committee in the European Parliament.She assures me that this point has already been raised with some force in the course of deliberations in the committee.Elspeth says it is clear the there will be amendments from committee members asking for the Article to be deleted from the proposal or.failing that amended very substantially indeed.I should add though, that under the current procedures, the Parliament can only give an opinion and the final decision is taken by the Council of Fisheries Ministers.So it would be useful ,too for youu to make the goverment directly aware of your views on the issue.
Thank you once again for contacting me on this important matter
Yours sincerely
Fiona Hall MEP.

Can't say I didn't try,so where do I collect my brownie points from?

[sam harris]

Article 47 - have a look at this

Received this today lads - have a look at this. How true !!!
YouTube - Article 47
Sam

[Charlton]

Received this today lads - have a look at this. How true !!!
YouTube - Article 47
Sam

Sam, posted it already, what a hoot

[davem2005]

Just recieved this email...good news I hope

Dear Mr Morton,

Further to your email, I am writing to inform you of some significant developments regarding Article 47 (monitoring of recreational fisheries). Following intense lobbying, Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg informed the Fisheries Committee (in the European Parliament) yesterday that he had no intention of bringing recreational fishermen under the scope of the CFP.

The Commissioner was very clear in ruling out any extension to "recreational anglers who catch a few kilos of fish, even recovery stocks like cod, and take it home for their own use." He went on to promise that he would fine tune Article 47 so that it only targets sea anglers who catch and sell recovery stocks for profit.

I hope this news will alleviate your initial concern and I will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that the Commissioner keeps to his word.

Yours sincerely,

Martin Callanan MEP
Conservative
North East England