The European Parliament Fisheries Committee (PECH) has adopted the Rodust (S&D, DE) report on the CFP reform basic regulation, along with a number of amendments which will improve the long-term sustainability of fish stocks.
Votes on restoring fish stocks above MSY levels went through (amendment 2), with fourteen MEPs in favour and nine against. If this is supported at plenary and by the Council, all European fish stocks will be managed so that by 2015 “fishing mortality rates are set at levels that should allow fish stocks to recover, by 2020 at the latest, above levels that are capable of producing the maximum sustainable yield”. All recovered stocks should then continue to be managed within this framework.
Moreover, policies were adopted which aim to assess and eliminate fishing overcapacity (amendment 55). These will require Member States to provide annual capacity assessments which demonstrate that their fleet is in line with the available fishing opportunities. A mismatch would force Member States to submit plans to the European institutions on how to overcome this, and non-compliance could lead to subsidy funds being withheld.
A discard ban for all harvested species (amendment 32) was also supported by the committee. This will be implemented in three phases, beginning in 2014 and concluding three years later.
There was also good news for small-scale fishermen, with the amendment calling for them to be given preferential access to fish resources being voted through (amendment 20). Transferable fishing concessions (TFCs) were also limited to a maximum of 12 years, makes them voluntary, and limits their application to EU waters (amendment 48).
PECH has not always seen as a sustainable committee, with some MEPs criticised for being beholden to specific vested interest groups. However, a sea-change has taken place during recent years, with science and sustainability now being used as a cornerstone for decision-making by a majority of committee members. Chris Davies (ALDE, UK) was delighted with the committee, stating that “(I) can hardly believe how well the votes are going on fisheries reform. Clear majorities for sustainable policies.”
Ulrike Rodust was in celebratory mood after the vote and declared that “in plenary, I expect a large majority, the negotiations with the Council! I’m excited!” While Isabella Lövin (Greens/EFA, SE) thought it was a “fantastic outcome in PECH committee! We won ending to overfishing, discard ban for all harvested species and protected areas!!”