Speaking to representatives of the Italian fishing sector in Rome, Franz Fischler, EU Commissioner for agriculture, rural development and fisheries, said that the EC wanted to extend and strengthen the application of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) to the Mediterranean where circumstances differ greatly from those in northern fisheries.
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“Up till now, the CFP has only been partially applied to the Mediterranean. The EC will shortly propose an Action Plan specifically designed to tackle the problems of the EU fisheries sector in the Mediterranean sea. Catches are falling, the fish caught are getting smaller and some species like sea bass are becoming rarer. It is in the interest of Italian fishermen to reverse this situation. We need to fish less and better, improve compliance with the rules, reinforce co-operation between fishermen and scientists and strengthen multilateral co-operation”, Commissioner Fischler said. The EC presented its first proposals for the reform of the CFP on 28 May. More proposals, including an Action Plan for conservation in the Mediterranean will follow shortly.
More effort to maintain catches
In the Mediterranean, overall catches are falling and more fishing effort is required to maintain previous catch levels, even if the situation is less dramatic than in the northern Europe. Jobs are being lost: in Italy, almost 8,000 fishermen’s jobs were lost between 1990 and 2000, a fall of 16%. Taking into account the specificities of the fisheries sector in the Mediterranean, the EC will shortly propose an action plan tailor-made for the situation in the Mediterranean.
Fischler said that while international co-operation was essential to ensure sustainable fisheries throughout the Mediterranean, progress could already be achieved by the EU sector. “EU fishermen urgently need to comply better with the existing conservation measures. Otherwise, how can we complain about the activities of other parties if we flout the rules ourselves?”, Fischler said. He also stressed the need for greater co-operation between fishermen and scientists. Proposed measures could then be discussed on the basis of reliable and transparent data to which fishermen had contributed.
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By GlobalDataManaging migratory stocks
Fischler added that highly migratory stocks, which form an important part of Mediterranean fisheries, needed to be managed at EU level in co-ordination with the relevant Regional Fisheries Organisations. Co-operation at all levels of interaction between the EU and other parties was crucial and the EC would spare no effort to develop and strengthen it, Fischler said.
On the EC’s proposal to end public aid to the fleet, Fischler said: “Instead of protecting the fleet, subsidies are weakening it by maintaining it at a level that engenders fishing pressure beyond what fish stocks can withstand. How can a fleet be competitive if its survival depends on subsidies? Jobs are being lost and incomes are going down. What is the point of going on like this?
“I believe that there is a more responsible way to spend public money. Thus, instead of helping to create more fishing capacity and fishing pressure, aid should be used for to benefit the sector by compensating those who want to leave by allocating aid for scrapping vessels, for early retirement schemes and to provide training and grants for those who want to find alternative work. Aid would in any case remain available to increase health and safety standards on board and to use more selective gear”, Fischler said.
Scrapped vessels not replaced
Also proposed is that vessels scrapped with public funds are not replaced. Additions to fleet capacity would be financed with private money and only after an equivalent capacity has been permanently withdrawn also with private finances. Some EU fleets which have been operating under this regime for many years show that they can be perfectly competitive and safe without subsidies.
Aware that the economic problems experienced by the fleets have an impact on coastal areas the EC foresees that in addition to the €460m (US$464.4m) that would be redirected from the fleet to social measures, further funding could be made available for additional welfare measures after 2004, if needed.
