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Discards and the Fish Fight Campaign
Thank you very much for your emails regarding discards and the Fish Fight campaign. This is an issue my Liberal Democrat colleagues and I share your concerns about.
There are two main reasons for discarding. One is high-grading, where fish are discarded in the hope of obtaining a catch of higher value. The practice is diminishing as a result of limited days at sea and high fuel prices.
The other results from the quota system, where fish over and above the entitlement are caught. The rules do not currently allow such fish to be landed. There is a particular problem in mixed fisheries, where non or over quota fish may be caught by way of by-catch along with the species actually targeted.
The European Commission published a green paper on the Common Fisheries Policy in April 2009 which set out their vision for reform and invited comments from interested parties. This includes proposals to end fleet overcapacity and refocusing the CFP's main objective on maintaining healthy, sustainable and exploitable stocks.
Under the Lisbon Treaty the fisheries committee in the European Parliament now has increased competence. In the past the European Parliament could only give an opinion on fisheries and agricultural matters but they now have co-decision powers on legislation in these areas.
I must explain that I do not sit on the Fisheries Committee and so I am not involved in the drafting of reports and amendments in this area. However, my Lib Dem colleagues, Chris Davies and Graham Watson are members of that committee and I am in close contact with them on this issue.
Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament are in favour of abolishing the quota system and replacing it with the creation of marine conservation zones. This moves the emphasis on how many fish are fished, to where they are fished. The zones would allow a space where fishing does not take place and allow stocks to regenerate. Outside the zones, fishermen would not be restricted by existing quotas and the throwing of dead fish into the sea because they are ‘the wrong kind’ would no longer be necessary.
This change is required not only because of the problem of bycatch, but also because there is no evidence quotas work to protect stocks. Further, quotas are constantly set at a higher level than that recommended by scientists, because they are set by EU government ministers who are allowed to make a political decision on the setting of quota, which is often not in the long term interests of either biodiversity or the fishing industry.
Finally, marine conservation zones will be easier for national authorities to enforce, and will give fisherman more freedom in areas where they are allowed to fish.
As the next stage of the review of the EU Common Fisheries Policy, the European Commission is expected to make its proposals to the European Parliament in May/June, at which point, my Lib Dem colleagues and I will, if necessary, seek to amend the legislation through the parliamentary process so that it incorporates these reforms.
Thank you once again for contacting me on this important issue.
Yours sincerely
Fiona Hall MEP
Discards and the Fish Fight Campaign
Thank you very much for your emails regarding discards and the Fish Fight campaign. This is an issue my Liberal Democrat colleagues and I share your concerns about.
There are two main reasons for discarding. One is high-grading, where fish are discarded in the hope of obtaining a catch of higher value. The practice is diminishing as a result of limited days at sea and high fuel prices.
The other results from the quota system, where fish over and above the entitlement are caught. The rules do not currently allow such fish to be landed. There is a particular problem in mixed fisheries, where non or over quota fish may be caught by way of by-catch along with the species actually targeted.
The European Commission published a green paper on the Common Fisheries Policy in April 2009 which set out their vision for reform and invited comments from interested parties. This includes proposals to end fleet overcapacity and refocusing the CFP's main objective on maintaining healthy, sustainable and exploitable stocks.
Under the Lisbon Treaty the fisheries committee in the European Parliament now has increased competence. In the past the European Parliament could only give an opinion on fisheries and agricultural matters but they now have co-decision powers on legislation in these areas.
I must explain that I do not sit on the Fisheries Committee and so I am not involved in the drafting of reports and amendments in this area. However, my Lib Dem colleagues, Chris Davies and Graham Watson are members of that committee and I am in close contact with them on this issue.
Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament are in favour of abolishing the quota system and replacing it with the creation of marine conservation zones. This moves the emphasis on how many fish are fished, to where they are fished. The zones would allow a space where fishing does not take place and allow stocks to regenerate. Outside the zones, fishermen would not be restricted by existing quotas and the throwing of dead fish into the sea because they are ‘the wrong kind’ would no longer be necessary.
This change is required not only because of the problem of bycatch, but also because there is no evidence quotas work to protect stocks. Further, quotas are constantly set at a higher level than that recommended by scientists, because they are set by EU government ministers who are allowed to make a political decision on the setting of quota, which is often not in the long term interests of either biodiversity or the fishing industry.
Finally, marine conservation zones will be easier for national authorities to enforce, and will give fisherman more freedom in areas where they are allowed to fish.
As the next stage of the review of the EU Common Fisheries Policy, the European Commission is expected to make its proposals to the European Parliament in May/June, at which point, my Lib Dem colleagues and I will, if necessary, seek to amend the legislation through the parliamentary process so that it incorporates these reforms.
Thank you once again for contacting me on this important issue.
Yours sincerely
Fiona Hall MEP
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