Today, July 1, Poland is taking over the European Union (EU) Presidency for the next six months. This is the first time Poland will lead the EU Council. As the official release of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) Reform package is quickly approaching (July 13), Poland’s Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development responsible for Fisheries, Kazimierz Florian Plocke, identified Poland’s priorities for a ‘comprehensive’ reform, written exclusively for CFP Reform Watch.
It’s not a secret that the CFP reform needs a significant face-lift to ensure an end to overfishing and destructive fishing practices, and to secure fair and equitable use of healthy fish stocks. In July, Poland will lead the preliminary Council debate on the reform of the CFP, and the long term need to balance the fisheries sector with marine resources.
Plocke outlined Poland’s final objectives for the reform, which include the creation of a sustainable fisheries sector, ensuring that fish stocks are not exploited at a rate above Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) levels, with a balanced and responsible fisheries management. Methods to deliver this, such as multispecies management and the ecosystem based approach, will be taken into account, according to CFP Reform Watch.
One of the strongholds of the Polish priorities for the reform of the CFP is the reduction of overcapacity. In a recent article in Gazeta Wyborcza, Plocke claims that this reform of the Common Fisheries Policy will be different than all others, especially within the Polish context. In the article Plocke hinted that difficult decisions will have to be made by Polish fishermen in terms continuing in the sector or not.
Since accession to the EU in 2004, the Polish fleet has been reduced by 40% using public funds. Poland wants to maintain the use of the European Fisheries Fund for modernization efforts although, it has been reported, Plocke himself is doubtful this will be possible. Poland believes that Member States should have greater flexibility in deciding on scrapping opportunities or development of some of the fleet segments, Gazeta Wyborcza reports.
Just as in the Polish Green Paper response to the CFP reform, Poland stresses the importance of maintaining the principle of relative stability, which relates to the historical rights and fishing opportunities among Member States. ‘Relative stability guarantees Member States their historical rights and the agreed distribution key of fishing opportunities’, said Plocke as reported by CFP Refrom Watch
Another important factor for Poland will be decentralization of the decision making process. Only then more effective involvement of the fishermen community and scientists in the decision making process within the sector will be possible, explains Plocke in Gazeta Wyborcza.
Other priorities support reduction or ‘gradual elimination’ of discards, proper management of the long-distance fleet under the CFP external dimension, strengthening the role of aquaculture under the common fisheries market legislation, and finally strengthening and improving the operation of producer organizations.
It’s been reported that Plocke stressed the importance of supporting small scale fisheries in Poland, to prevent its disappearance as a livelihood choice. In Poland small scale fisheries form a precious cultural element of local coastal societies.
Some of the scheduled meetings organized by the Depatment of Fisheries during the Polish Presidency will include:
- Director General Meeting in Sopot, 25 – 26 July 2011
- Meeting of the Fisheries Attachés in Gdansk, 8 – 10 September 2011
- ICES conference in Gdansk, 17 – 24 September 2011
For more information please see the links below.