In a letter sent to fisheries attachés ahead of their working group meeting, at which they will reflect upon the outcome of December’s vote in the Fisheries Committee, Member States are encouraged to look to the EP who “took a momentous step towards turning the tide on overfishing in Europe”.
The EP will finalise their first reading of the basic regulation at the upcoming plenary, and the Council will then respond to this. Their pre-emptive General Approach, agreed last June, is however far apart from the Parliament’s on many key issues.
There are five areas of policy detailed in the letter, which we argue will rebuild fish stocks, reshape the fleet, and improve fisheries management in the EU.
Firstly, we call on the Council to “end overfishing no later than 2015 (FMSY), in order to recover fish stocks to sustainable levels (BMSY) by 2020 at the latest”. In addition, there should be support for promoting selective, low-impact and small-scale coastal fishing activities. EU subsidies should be made conditional on compliance with the rules of the CFP. Excess fishing capacity, a key driver of overfishing, should be reduced. While regionalised management solutions, through the swift adoption of multiannual plans need to be adopted in greater numbers than at present.
In addition, we voice our support for the Council’s position on regional collaboration and joint recommendations.