FISHERIES PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN
THE EC AND GREENLAND (15966/06)
Letter from the Chairman to Ben Bradshaw
MP, Minister for Local Environment, Marine and Animal Welfare,
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Sub-Committee D considered your Explanatory
Memorandum on the above Proposal at its meeting on 13 December
2006.
We note that the EM does not give an indication
of the allocation of fishing opportunities between the Member
States, including those for United Kingdom vessels. Nor does your
EM provide any information on how sustainable the proposed levels
of fishing are for the marine environment. We would also like
to know what arrangements exist for monitoring and policing fishing
in the Greenland EEZ. Given the urgency of adopting the Decision
in order to avoid creating a legal vacuum, we are content to life
scrutiny on the Proposal but we would welcome further information
from you on the issues I have raised.
13 December 2006
Letter from Ben Bradshaw MP to the Chairman
Thank you for your letter of 13 December in
which you informed me that, following consideration by Sub-Committee
D, the Lords Scrutiny Committee agreed to lift scrutiny on the
proposal relating to the provisional application of the new EU/Greenland
Fisheries Partnership Agreement.
You commented that the Explanatory Memorandum
covering this proposal did not specify allocation of quotas between
Member States. This is because at the time of preparing the EM
this breakdown was not available. Since then, the December Agriculture
and Fisheries Council has taken place at which Total Allowable
Catches (TACs) and quotas were agreed for 2007, including quotas
in Greenland waters. The attached Annex to this letter shows the
allocation of all the fish stocks covered by the Agreement. However,
you should note that the TACs and quotas regulation for 2007 has
not yet been published in the Official Journal so these figures
should be treated as provisional for the time being.
You also asked about measures for monitoring
and policing fishing in the Greenland Exclusive Economic Zone.
The fishing activities governed by this Agreement are subject
to the laws and regulations in force in Greenland. The Greenland
authorities are required to seek the observations of Community
authorities on any amendments to their legislation prior to their
entry into force unless urgent entry into force is justified.
Greenland's competent authorities are responsible for monitoring
fishing activities. When the competent authorities observe that
there has been a violation of Greenlandic law by a master of a
Community vessel, notice must be sent as soon as possible to the
European Commission and the flag Member State. The notice must
contain information concerning the name of the vessel, register
number, call signal and the names of the vessel owners and the
master of the vessel. The notice must also contain a description
of the circumstances leading to the violation and must specify
any sanctions applied.
Two important Greenlandic Regulations which
are applied are the Greenland Home Rule Executive Order on Fishing
Bycatches and the Greenland Home Rule Executive Order on Surveillance
of Off-Shore Fisheries. In addition, the Protocol to the Agreement
has annexed to it detailed provisions on the conditions related
to satellite tracking of fishing vessels. Satellite tracking must
apply to all Community vessels when operating in Greenlandic waters.
Community fishing vessels are tracked by their Flag State Monitoring
Centre when operating in Greenlandic waters. It is prohibited
for a Community vessel to switch off its satellite tracking devices
when operating in Greenlandic waters. If a vessel is observed
without having an operational satellite tracking device on board
and without messages being communicated to the Greenland authorities,
this vessel may be instructed to leave Greenlandic waters. Vessel
owners are also required to forward entry and exit messages to
the Greenland authorities (the control unit in the Directorate
of Fisheries Greeeniand Licence Control Authorities) when they
enter and leave Greenlandic waters. Once a vessel has entered
Greenlandic waters the Flag State Monitoring Centre in the Member
State responsible for the vessel must notify the Greenlandic authorities
of the vessel's position at least every two hours. The EU Monitoring
Centre must monitor progress by its vessel on an hourly basis.
15 January 2007
Annex A
EU/GREENLAND FISHING
OPPORTUNITIES FOR
EU VESSELS IN
2007
|
| Species | Area
| Member State | Member State's
Quotas (tonnes)
|
|
| Snowcrab | NAFO 0 & 1
| Ireland | 62
|
| | Spain
| 437 |
| | EU
| 500 |
| Cod (1) | V,XIV, NAFO 0 & 1
| Germany | 818
|
| | UK
| 182 |
| | EU
| 1,000 |
| Atlantic halibut (2) | V&XIV
| Portugal | 1,000
|
| | EU
| 1,200 (3) |
| Atlantic halibut | NAFO 0 & 1
| EU | 200 (4)
|
| Capelin | V&XIV
| EU | 0
|
| Northern prawn | V&XIV
| Denmark | 1,300
|
| | France
| 1,300 |
| | EU
| 7,000 (5) |
| Northern prawn | NAFO 0 & 1
| Denmark | 2,000
|
| | France
| 2,000 |
| | EU
| 4,000 |
| Greenland halibut | V&XIV
| Germany | 6,294
|
| | UK
| 331 |
| | EU
| 7,500 (6) |
| Greenland halibut | NAFO 0 & 1
| Germany | 1,550
|
| | EU
| 2,500 (7) |
| Redfish (8) | V&XIV
| Germany | 5,977
|
| | France
| 30 |
| | UK
| 42 |
| | EU
| 9,750 (9) |
| By-catches (10) | NAFO 0 & 1
| EU | 2,600 (11)
|
|
Footnotes
(1) South of 63 degrees N; May only be fished as from
1 June. In the period 1 June until 31 October the quota may only
be fished by long liners. As from 1 October both trawl and long
liners may be used.
(2) To be fished by no more than 6 Community demersal long
liners targeting Atlantic halibut Catches of associated species
to be counted against this quota. Further provisions may be introduced
during 2007 on the basis of a joint decision taken in the framework
of the Joint Committee.
(3) Of which 200 tonnes to be fished only with long lines
allocated to Norway.
(4) Allocated to Norway, to be fished only with long lines.
(5) Of which 3250 tonnes are allocated to Norway and 1150
tonnes to the Faroe Islands.
(6) Of which 800 tonnes are allocated to Norway and 75 tonnes
to the Faroe Islands.
(7) Of which 800 tonnes are allocated to Norway and 75 tonnes
to the Faroe Islands.
(8) May only be fished by pelagic trawl. May be fished East
or West. The quota may be taken in the NEAFC Regulatory Area on
the condition that Greenlandic reporting conditions are fulfilled.
(9) 3,500 tonnes to be fished with pelagic trawl are allocated
to Norway and 200 tonnes are allocated to the Faroe Islands.
(10) Bycatches are defined as any catches of species not covered
by the vessel's target species
indicated on the licence.May be fished East or West.
(11) Of which 120 tonnes of roundnose grenadier are allocated
to Norway.
| 
