10
Dec 2008 - Brussels, Belgium - European
fishermen will have to apply drastic measures
to avoid discarding unwanted fish overboard
while fishing cod in the North Sea, as a
result of the EU-Norway fisheries agreement
reached early this morning.
According to WWF, this
is a first necessary step to stop the unnecessary
killing of millions of tonnes of untargeted
marine species that are caught every year.
To make sure such measures are respected,
however, severe controls and inspections
must be introduced.
As a result of the deal,
reached after weeks of negotiations, the
European Union and Norway have agreed to
increase the total allowable quota (TAC)
for cod in the North Sea by 30%, at the
condition fishermen will reduce discards
through mandatory use of eliminator trawls
- a special type of net which allows cod
to escape - and other selective gears. Such
measures will apply when the quota is almost
reached - that is when the discard problem
tends to increase. In addition, discards
of stocks above minimum landing size will
be banned, and closed areas during the spawning
season introduced.
The European Union has
finally committed to work on a complete
ban on discards, already in force in the
Norwegian Sea, within the upcoming reform
of the Common Fisheries Policy, in 2012.
“We welcome new rules
to encourage most selective gears and closed
areas during the spawning season. The key
point, though, is that these measures are
enforced. A quota increase for cod based
on less cod being removed from the sea and
discarded needs fishermen and governments
to work together to make sure rules are
applied. Discard remains a problem that
needs to be a priority of the reform of
the Common Fisheries Policy." said
Aaron McLoughlin, Head of European Marine
Programme at WWF.
WWF urges the European
Union to go much further than today’s decision,
and require the use of selective gears like
eliminator trawls all year round.
As regard other stocks
included in the agreement, WWF supports
the reduction of quota by 13% for plaice
as it is in line with the scientific advice,
but regrets that the advice to cut whiting
quotas by 67% was ignored - with a cut by
only 15%. According to the International
Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES
- a scientific body advising the EU) such
a limited reduction won’t be enough to restore
this fishery which suffers from too high
fishing mortality.
The agreed quotas for
North Sea cod and related measures to reduce
discards will be ratified by the EU Fisheries
Ministers at the Council meeting on 18-19
December in Brussels.
Notes to the editors
• WWF Germany report “Marine Life is not
waste” (November 08) shows that every year
in the North Sea a third of the annual catch
of fish and other marine life is thrown
or discarded over the side.
• A recent WWF report
"Management and Technical Measures
in the Norwegian Cod and Groundfisheries”
(October 08) highlights key measures adopted
by Norway to dramatically reduce discard
and illegal fishing
Aaron Mc Loughlin, Head of European Marine
Programme
WWF European Policy Office
+ More
Red-letter day for North
Sea cod
11 Dec 2008 - Brussels,
Belgium – The European Union and Norway
have taken the first step towards saving
millions of tonnes of cod and other North
Sea fish every year.
The EU-Norway fisheries
agreement, reached after weeks of negotiation,
sees the total allowable quota for cod in
the North Sea increase by 30 per cent, on
the condition that fishermen reduce the
amount of “discard”, or unwanted fish thrown
back in the sea either dead or dying.
Discard includes cod
if the fisherman’s quota has been reached
or if the fish is under-size, and other
fish (bycatch) that may have been caught
by accident.
Now though fishermen
face mandatory use of eliminator trawls
– a special type of net which allows cod
to escape – and other selective gear when
the quota is almost reached.
In addition, discard
of fish above minimum landing size will
be banned and closed areas during the spawning
season introduced.
The European Union has
finally committed to work on a complete
ban on discard, already in force in the
Norwegian Sea, within the upcoming reform
of the Common Fisheries Policy in 2012.
“We welcome new rules
to encourage more selective gear and closed
areas during the spawning season,” said
Aaron McLoughlin, Head of European Marine
Programme at WWF. “The key point, though,
is that these measures are enforced.
“A quota increase for
cod based on less cod being removed from
the sea and discarded needs fishermen and
governments to work together to make sure
rules are applied. Discard remains a problem
and that needs to be a priority of the reform
of the Common Fisheries Policy.”
WWF is urging the EU
to make the use of selective gear like eliminator
trawls mandatory all year round.
As far as other stocks
in the agreement are concerned, WWF supports
the reduction of quota by 13 per cent for
plaice as it is in line with the scientific
advice, but regrets that the advice to cut
whiting quotas by 67 per cent was ignored
in favour of a cut by only 15 per cent.
According to the International Council for
the Exploration of the Sea (ICES – a scientific
body advising the EU) such a limited reduction
won’t be enough to restore a fishery which
suffers from excessive fishing mortality.
The agreed quotas for
North Sea cod and related measures to reduce
discards will be ratified by the EU Fisheries
Ministers at the Council meeting on 18-19
December in Brussels.
