FISHERIES: TOTAL ALLOWABLE CATCHES AND
QUOTAS FOR CERTAIN DEEP-SEA SPECIES (13421/06)
Letter from Ben Bradshaw MP, Minister
for Local Environment, Marine and Animal Welfare, Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
I am writing to inform you of an issue which
is to come before the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 20-21
November. The item concerns the fixing of TACs (Total Allowable
Catches) and quotas for deep water species for 2007 and 2008.
An Explanatory Memorandum (13421/06) was prepared
and submitted on 6 November 2006 and was sifted to Sub-Committee
D on 7 November.
TACs and quotas for deep sea species were first
established in 2002 for 2003 and 2004. They were extended for
2005 and 2006 and are intended to be extended for 2007 and 2008.
For 2005 and 2006 the provisions required a 10% cut in effort
compared to 2003 and 2004.
ICES has recommended at least 30% reductions
in TACs for many species as well is the closure of some fisheries
such as orange roughey and blue ling. The Commission intends to
follow the scientific recommendations basing the forthcoming TACs
on reported landings in recent years.
Most deep sea species can only sustain low rates
of exploitation. Fishing on such species should be permitted only
when they are accompanied by programmes to coIlect data and should
expand very slowly until reliable assessments indicate that increased
harvests are sustainable.
The advice from ICES makes for very grim reading.
It suggests that almost all deepwater stocks, are overexploited
and that effort needs to be cut back substantially. For the stocks
of main UK interest:
Blue Ling—There should be no directed
fisheries and catches should be minimised in mixed fisheries to
the lowest possible level. Closed areas to protect spawning aggregations
should be maintained and expanded where appropriate.
Tusk—ICES recommends a 30% cut
in catches.
Black Scabbardfish—Reduction in
fishing effort to baseline levels (1990-96) (-34.5% in 2007 and
a further reduction of 50.7% in 2008).
The Commission has accepted the ICES recommendations
in full and is prepared to act on this advice. It is proposing
to cut TACs on the basis of 2005 landings rather than the actual
set TAC. The Commission argues that this is because the uptake
of a number of TACs is so low that even a 30% cut in the TAC wouldn't
actually cut fishing effort. This has lead to most cuts being
very significant, with TACs being reduced by more than 33%.
The UK has a relatively small, but significant
stake in deep sea fisheries. The main quota holders are France
and Spain. We agree with the Commission that urgent action is
needed to conserve these slow growing, late maturing fish, most
stocks of which are severely depleted. The UK fully supports the
Commission proposals on this issue, subject to points where the
proposals are technically flawed which are being pursued bilaterally
with the Commission.
I attach very great importance to the work of
the Committee, and I very much regret that this proposal is going
to Council without prior scrutiny clearance from the Committee.
It is important to note that there was a very short space of time
between receiving the proposal and it being discussed in Council.
There was also some difficulty getting agreement on a UK position
with the Devolved Administrations. I am sure that you will appreciate
that the balance between taking appropriate action in the light
of dismal scientific advice and the socio-economic effects of
doing so is not an easy one to strike. I discussed this issue
twice with my Scottish counterpart and only through arduous debate
have we come to agreement.
Although there were reasons for it in this case,
overriding scrutiny is not a step I take lightly. I hope the.
Committee will understand why we have taken this course on this
occasion and will accept my apologies for any appearance of discourtesy
to the Committee.
16 November 2006
Letter from the Chairman to Ben Bradshaw
MP
At its meeting on 22 November 2006 Sub-Committee
D considered your Explanatory Memorandum on the above Proposal
and your letter of 16 November explaining the need to over-ride
scrutiny in the Council of 20-21 November.
We understand the use of the scrutiny over-ride
on this occasion as, due to Prorogation of Parliament, we were
unable to consider your EM before Council. It should be noted,
though, that the original Commission Proposal was published on
28 September, leaving ample time for your EM to be deposited with
Parliament before Prorogation. We do fully appreciate the pressures
of time and the importance of securing agreement at the last Council
meeting but we trust that, wherever possible, you will endeavour
in future to ensure that EMs do reach us in time for us to consider
them before adoption in Council.
On the substance of the Proposal, the Committee
is content with the approach pursued by Defra and adopted by the
Council. We trust that a similarly sustainable approach will be
taken in the preparation for, and during, the December Council
on the remaining TACs and Quotas for 2007.
22 November 2006
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