Excellent overview and update following the CFP talks that ended at 4.20 am this morning from those champions of EU observations at
Council adopts general approach on CFP
2012-06-13, 07:13 | Updated: 2012-06-13, 14:08
The Council early on Wednesday morning adopted a ‘general approach’ on the Common Fisheries Policy. France welcomes the delay of a discard ban, while greens and liberals criticise the delay of ending overfishing. (Article will be updated during the day.)
Many gaps in discard ban
[Update 11:33] Despite initial claims that an agreement had been reached on a discard ban, the agreement is just provisional and has many loopholes. Important parts of the text on discards are still in [square brackets], and a special group in Council will deal with the details at a later stage, a presidency official said. The Council has agreed on having one date for the main species and a later date for bycatch species. For the North Sea, the discard ban is proposed to be gradually introduced between 2015 and 2018. The French minister Frédéric Cuvillier welcomed that the text includes the principle of a minimal percentage of allowed discards as well as increased quotas to include the otherwise discarded fish.
[Update 11:33] Despite initial claims that an agreement had been reached on a discard ban, the agreement is just provisional and has many loopholes. Important parts of the text on discards are still in [square brackets], and a special group in Council will deal with the details at a later stage, a presidency official said. The Council has agreed on having one date for the main species and a later date for bycatch species. For the North Sea, the discard ban is proposed to be gradually introduced between 2015 and 2018. The French minister Frédéric Cuvillier welcomed that the text includes the principle of a minimal percentage of allowed discards as well as increased quotas to include the otherwise discarded fish.
MSY by 2020
[Update 9:55] A presidency official said that on maximum sustainable yield (MSY) nothing has changed compared to last week’s draft text. That means that Council wants to achieve MSY exploitation rates “where possible” 2015 and 2020 for all stocks.
[Update 9:55] A presidency official said that on maximum sustainable yield (MSY) nothing has changed compared to last week’s draft text. That means that Council wants to achieve MSY exploitation rates “where possible” 2015 and 2020 for all stocks.
Comments & reactions – [Updated 14:01]
In a press release the French fisheries minister, Frédéric Cuvillier, welcomes that there is no immediate introduction of a discard ban, and that the discard ban won’t be in place until 2018 or 2019 depending on the area. The French minister also welcomes that the text includes the principle of a minimal percentage of allowed discards as well as increased quotas to include the otherwise discarded fish.
In a press release the French fisheries minister, Frédéric Cuvillier, welcomes that there is no immediate introduction of a discard ban, and that the discard ban won’t be in place until 2018 or 2019 depending on the area. The French minister also welcomes that the text includes the principle of a minimal percentage of allowed discards as well as increased quotas to include the otherwise discarded fish.
The Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament issued a press release, saying that by delaying the end to overfishing ministers are prescribing the continuation of a fisheries industry based on overfishing and resulting unprofitability.
Chris Davies, a liberal UK MEP and secretary of the cross-party ‘Fish for the Future’ group in the European Parliament, said in a statement, “For governments to say that we should stop overfishing but perhaps not for another eight years is little short of madness.”
Markus Knigge, advisor to Ocean2012, issued a statement in which he said, “We are now looking to the European Parliament to support a Common Fisheries Policy reform that delivers a healthy marine environment and viable fisheries dependent communities.”
The Swedish fisheries minister, Eskil Erlandsson, said he did not support the general approach. One of the reasons was that ministers could not agree on all issues regarding a discard ban.
Commissioner Maria Damanaki tweeted: “It is a fact that the Commission proposal for CFP reform is more ambitious than the [Council] text we have in front of us now.”
Council press release and video
After 18 hours of negotiations, at 4:20 in the morning, Danish fisheries minister and Council president Mette Gjerskov tweeted that Council had reached a general approach on discard and MSY “which brings us closer to a radically sustainable reform.”
After 18 hours of negotiations, at 4:20 in the morning, Danish fisheries minister and Council president Mette Gjerskov tweeted that Council had reached a general approach on discard and MSY “which brings us closer to a radically sustainable reform.”
Two press releases have been issued, one by the Council, and one by the Danish Presidency. The Council press release says that MSY “where possible” means “when scientific advice on the stocks are available”, but there is no such definition made in the actual text of the general approach.
Video, blog & photos from the meeting:
Parts of the Council discussions were public. Ronny Patz wrote a live blog both from the open sessions both in the morning and in the night. and the video can be seen on the Council’s website.Photos from the meeting.
Courtesy of CFP Reform Watch EU
Parts of the Council discussions were public. Ronny Patz wrote a live blog both from the open sessions both in the morning and in the night. and the video can be seen on the Council’s website.Photos from the meeting.
Courtesy of CFP Reform Watch EU
