1 Monitoring of industrial
fishing
| (25504)
7920/04
COM(04) 167
| Commission Communication: "Improving the monitoring of industrial fishing within the EU"
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| Legal base | — |
| Document originated | 25 March 2004
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| Deposited in Parliament | 1 April 2004
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| Department | Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
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| Basis of consideration | EM of 19 April 2004
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| Previous Committee Report | None
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| To be discussed in Council | No date set
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| Committee's assessment | Politically important
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| Committee's decision | Not cleared; further information awaited
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Background
1.1 In the late 1970s, the state of the herring stocks in Community
waters gave rise to serious concern. Since industrial fishing
was seen as an important contributor to the problem, the Council
adopted, in the absence of management measures such as total allowable
catches (TACs), Regulation (EEC) No. 2115/77,[1]
which prohibited the direct fishing within Community waters of
herring for industrial purposes other than human consumption,
and the landing of herring in the Community for such purposes,
irrespective of where it had been caught. However, following
the subsequent improvement in the stocks, that Regulation was
replaced in 1998 by a further measure,[2]
which sets out the basis on which herring for industrial purposes
may be landed and the rules applying to unsorted landings. That
Regulation also required the Commission to provide a Report by
the end of 2002 on any adjustments which may be needed, and the
current document has now been produced in response to that obligation,
the delay having been due to the large number of recovery plans
which it has been necessary to prepare recently for other stocks
under pressure.
The current document
1.2 By way of background, the Commission notes that, apart from
certain areas in the Baltic Sea, the International Council for
the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) regards the herring stocks in
Community waters —
including those in areas around the UK —
as currently being at relatively safe levels, with those in the
North Sea and west of Scotland described as "at or close
to record high levels". It says that the main target species
for industrial fishing are blue whiting, sandeel, Norway pout
and sprat, all of which are landed unsorted, and that industrial
landings from the North Sea (where sandeels are the most important
component) have over the last 20 years been relatively stable
at between 1 and 1.5 million tonnes a year, with landings of herring
(between 20,000 and 25,000 tonnes) accounting for 2% of the by-catch.
The other main industrial species in waters of interest to the
UK is blue whiting, where landings have also been around 1.5 million
tonnes. However, the Commission notes that there is almost no
information on the catches of other species in that fishery.
1.3 As regards management and control, the Commission
stresses the importance of the TACs and quotas for each stock
being respected, and of accurate catch data being provided in
order to allow realistic stock assessments to be made. However,
it notes that, in the case of industrial fishing, catches do not
have to be counted against any quota, and that there is a conflict
between the basic obligation on Member States to report landings
stock by stock and the practice of landing unsorted such species
caught in a mixed fishery. Consequently, although the Communication
says that the use of fish once landed should be an economic, rather
than a conservation, issue, it does regard the proper management
of all types of fishing, and in particular the effective control
of landings, as the basis for the future sustainable exploitation
of any stocks, such as herring, used for both industrial purposes
and human consumption.
1.4 In order to address these problems, the Commission
suggests:
- the introduction of specific
quotas for by-catches of the most important human consumption
species;
- a prohibition on industrial landings if one or
more by-catches are exhausted;
- a requirement to weigh all industrial landings,
using a common methodology;
- a requirement for the sampling of unsorted landings
on the basis of a common methodology;
- the estimation of landings by species on the
basis of sampling results;
- the strict enforcement of the obligation to report
catches against the right quota;
- the prior notification of landings by all vessels
engaged in industrial fishing;
- the introduction of designated port schemes
for industrial fisheries;
- the making of data on landings, sales, and where
appropriate sampling results, of each TAC and quota species accessible
to inspectors from all Member States and scientists; and
- the adoption of a specific monitoring programme
to guide inspection and surveillance.
The Government's view
1.5 In his Explanatory Memorandum of 19 April 2004,
the Minister for Nature Conservation and Fisheries at the Department
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mr Ben Bradshaw) says
that the Government believes that industrial fishing must be conducted
on a sustainable basis, and that human consumption fisheries should
take precedence in the allocation of TACs and quotas. The UK can
therefore support the principle of introducing measures to monitor
and control the level of industrial catches, but the Minister
adds that the Government will formulate its final position on
the detail in the light of the consultations it is having with
the industry.
Conclusion
1.6 The effect of industrial fishing on stocks
used primarily for human consumption has long been a source of
concern, and we therefore think it right to draw this Communication
to the attention of the House. However, before taking a final
view on it, we would be interested to have in due course the Government's
own detailed conclusions in the light of its current consultation
exercise.
1 OJ No. L. 247, 28.9.77, p.2. Back
2
Council Regulation 1434/98.OJ No. L.191, 7.7.98, p.10. Back
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