When the report on the Skagerrak discard ban was discussed for the first time in the Parliament Fisheries Committee on 17 December, MEPs raised issues in both the report and the Commission’s proposal on possible increases in TACs, control systems and minimum conservation reference sizes.
On Monday the 17 December, the report on the Discard ban in theSkagerrakwas presented in the PECH Committee in the European Parliament. The German MEP Kuhn presented his report and the Committee members gave comments and raised questions to the Commission about the proposal. The discussion mainly focused on the issues of raised quotas under a discard ban, control via CCTV systems to be mandatory or not, and harmonisation of minimum conservation reference sizes.
It became clear that there are concerns in the Committee about the report from Kuhn, as well as the principal proposal from the Commission. Commission also said that they themselves had questions on unclarities in the Kuhn report and amendments and that this needed to be sorted out in bilateral discussions with the rapporteur.
Upon questions raised, the Commission answered and admitted that some parts of the text is unclear and needs to be changed. For example, regarding article 3 on exemptions from discards and whether this is up the fishermen to decide depending on chances of survival. Such species should be evaluated and via delegated acts be exempt from the discard ban and not be up to the fishermen.
The current timeline for this legislation:
1. Date for amendments: January 9 (to be confirmed)
2. Vote in PECH committee: 18/02/2013
3. Indicative plenary date, 1st reading: 12/03/2013
4. Implemented by January 2014 at the earliest
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