BRUSSELS – European Union fisheries ministers decided yesterday to allow fishermen to catch more threatened fish such as cod in 2008, against the recommendations of scientists and environmentalists.
Under the deal reached after all-night negotiations, the quota for North Sea cod increased by 11 per cent, a rise welcomed by the fishing industry after years of reductions. Cuts in other sectors of the sea for cod were less than was urged by scientists.”Today’s decision continues a three decade long trend of ministerial incompetence that is dragging Europe’s seas towards a point of no return,” Greenpeace EU spokeswoman Saskia Richartz said.Instead of leaving the protection of the sea to fisheries ministers, Greenpeace wants the responsibility to be given to environmental ministers, and wants more safeguards to let stocks recover to previous strength.”2008 will be earmarked as the year when cod had a chance to recover but was jeopardised due to lack of will to put in place clear measures,” WWF environmental group expert Carol Phua said.She said it was wrong to let policy depend too much on voluntary action from the fishermen, which is part of the agreement.”Whether the industry’s plan will actually lead to fishermen avoiding cod at sea remains to be seen,” Phua said.”As the scheme is voluntary, it will only prove to be effective if enough boats follow the plan.”However, ministers said the stocks would be sufficiently protected because fishermen will be forced to reduce the days they can spend at sea, and measures will be taken to reduce bycatches of unwanted fish and discards of unsellable fish.”With hard work, we have managed to keep to the policy of sustainability,” said Portuguese Farm Minister Jaime Silva, who chaired the meeting.The agreement ‘acknowledges efforts by our fishermen to find new ways to safeguard stocks and to prevent large amounts of the fish they catch having to be thrown back dead into the sea’, British Fisheries Minister Jonathan Shaw said.The year-end meeting again turned into a bartering session pitting the interests of conservationists against those of fishermen.Portugal, which chaired the meeting, said that stock levels would allow for a good balance between protecting fish and guaranteeing the livelihoods of fishermen.Young cod in the North Sea were plentiful after the 2005 spawning season and scientists for the first time in years said increased fishing was possible.The WWF environmental group warned, though, that it was not time to increase fishing quotas since the overall stocks were still extremely fragile.The environmentalists had demanded cuts of up to 50 per cent in Europe’s fishing regions where the EU executive had proposed cuts of 25 per cent.The ministers, wary of a backlash from the industry, limited the cuts to 18 per cent.Nampa-APCuts in other sectors of the sea for cod were less than was urged by scientists.”Today’s decision continues a three decade long trend of ministerial incompetence that is dragging Europe’s seas towards a point of no return,” Greenpeace EU spokeswoman Saskia Richartz said.Instead of leaving the protection of the sea to fisheries ministers, Greenpeace wants the responsibility to be given to environmental ministers, and wants more safeguards to let stocks recover to previous strength.”2008 will be earmarked as the year when cod had a chance to recover but was jeopardised due to lack of will to put in place clear measures,” WWF environmental group expert Carol Phua said.She said it was wrong to let policy depend too much on voluntary action from the fishermen, which is part of the agreement.”Whether the industry’s plan will actually lead to fishermen avoiding cod at sea remains to be seen,” Phua said.”As the scheme is voluntary, it will only prove to be effective if enough boats follow the plan.”However, ministers said the stocks would be sufficiently protected because fishermen will be forced to reduce the days they can spend at sea, and measures will be taken to reduce bycatches of unwanted fish and discards of unsellable fish.”With hard work, we have managed to keep to the policy of sustainability,” said Portuguese Farm Minister Jaime Silva, who chaired the meeting.The agreement ‘acknowledges efforts by our fishermen to find new ways to safeguard stocks and to prevent large amounts of the fish they catch having to be thrown back dead into the sea’, British Fisheries Minister Jonathan Shaw said.The year-end meeting again turned into a bartering session pitting the interests of conservationists against those of fishermen.Portugal, which chaired the meeting, said that stock levels would allow for a good balance between protecting fish and guaranteeing the livelihoods of fishermen.Young cod in the North Sea were plentiful after the 2005 spawning season and scientists for the first time in years said increased fishing was possible.The WWF environmental group warned, though, that it was not time to increase fishing quotas since the overall stocks were still extremely fragile.The environmentalists had demanded cuts of up to 50 per cent in Europe’s fishing regions where the EU executive had proposed cuts of 25 per cent.The ministers, wary of a backlash from the industry, limited the cuts to 18 per cent.Nampa-AP
