Elements with tag RFMO
Next Tuesday, 27 June, the European Parliament Committee on Fisheries will vote the political agreement reached three weeks ago with the Council of the EU. The fishing industry represented by EAPO and Europêche reiterate their appreciation for the work invested over the past few years by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and the Member States to make the Commission’s proposal on new control rules more flexible and closer to the fisheries reality. As it was the case with the previous regime, once adopted, the sector will aim to comply with the new control system and will cooperate to make it operational. However, the sector requests transparency and involvement in the process and methodology to implement the new control devices on the different fleets. Fishers’ representatives remind that these new technological appliances will not solve the problems created by CFP elements such as the Landing Obligation for which several times a revision has been requested. Such revision should
• Blue sharks are sustainably managed by international fisheries management bodies (RFMOs) and protected thanks to strong fins-attached policies and catch documentation schemes. • Blue sharks harvested by Europeans are in healthy conditions across the oceans and are not subject to illegal trade.
Out of the 9 topics discussed, 4 resolutions were adopted during the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) meeting that took place in Seychelles from May 16th to 20th. The 26th session of IOTC adopted a management procedure for bigeye tuna that will allow for the first time to set a total allowable catch in 2024. This proposal from Australia was co-sponsored by the EU and other countries. The adoption of catch limits for bigeye tuna marks a new milestone in the history of IOTC. This proves that Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) can apply modern harvest strategies for tropical tuna species based on the best science. IOTC also takes measure to improve the observer coverage, tightens monitoring and control rules on at-sea and on-port tuna transhipments and is the first RFMO adopting a Resolution on Climate Change.
Large pelagic drift nets, are nets of over 2,5-kilometer-long and many meters deep, that are left drifting in the ocean to catch any living creature that happens to swim by. The international community and the EU have long adopted a global moratorium on all large-scale pelagic drift-nets fishing in the world’s oceans and seas, especially to catch migratory species such as tuna. However, their use is still overspread, especially in the Indian Ocean, responsible nowadays for around 20% of the total catches of yellowfin tuna and high levels of by-catch of threatened and protected species such as sharks, marine mammals and turtles. The tuna fishing industry represented by Europêche calls on the EU and IOTC parties to stop turning a blind eye on this long-lasting problem and make a stand against these illegal practices during the next IOTC meeting.
After tracking the satellite messages transmitting the position of 70.000 fishing vessels for the past 4 years, a group of researches [1] claim that commercial fishing covers over 55% of the ocean's surface. As a result, their study states that the area fished is four times bigger than the area occupied by agriculture in terms of square kilometres. Europêche argues that the study does not provide any new insight since fishing vessel monitoring systems have been widely implemented and enforced across the oceans for decades showing the exact location of our vessels to the competent authorities. In addition, the report is based on scientifically unsound data, overestimates the proportion of the seabed where fishing occurs and has little use for fisheries management.
Europêche presents main points of concern for the fishing sector at a decisive moment for its future
Mr Aguiar Machado, Director General of the Directorate-General for Fisheries in the European Commission (DG MARE), met today with a delegation of fishing representatives from Europêche to discuss industry’s concerns relating to recent political and legislative developments at European and international level. Both Mr Machado and Europêche positively valued the good results in achieving sustainable fisheries, leading to healthier stocks and greater socio-economic benefits for the sector. However, the sector recalled the importance to adopt workable measures that can realistically be applied by the industry which has not been the case with the landing obligation. In addition, Europêche requested further efforts and diplomatic pressure for more fisheries agreements with 3rd countries which must be linked to trade and regional policies.
Sr. Karmenu Vella, Comisario de Medio Ambiente, Asuntos Marítimos y Pesca, se reunió ayer con una delegación de Europêche que representa a la flota pesquera de larga distancia en Europa. Tanto el Comisario Vella como Europêche valoraron positivamente las principales mejoras introducidas en la dimensión exterior de la Política Pesquera Común (PPC), que sitúa a las flotas pesqueras de aguas alejadas de la UE en la vanguardia de la pesca sostenible en el mundo. El sector recordó la importancia de adoptar más acuerdos de pesca con terceros países que deban vincularse a las políticas comerciales y regionales. Europêche solicitó mayor presión diplomática a Noruega sobre la cuestión de la pesca de cangrejos de nieve y otras poblaciones importantes de peces en las aguas de Barents y Svalbard.
El Consejo de la UE y el Parlamento Europeo han alcanzado un acuerdo político sobre un nuevo marco legislativo para la gestión sostenible de las flotas pesqueras externas. El nuevo régimen establece normas estrictas, transparentes y armonizadas para la expedición y gestión de autorizaciones de pesca a los buques de la UE que pescan fuera de las aguas comunitarias ya los buques extranjeros que faenan en aguas de la UE. Mientras Europêche coincidía en la necesidad de modernizar el sistema, el organismo pesquero instó a la supresión de determinadas disposiciones que amenazaban la supervivencia de las empresas pesqueras responsables. En este sentido, la asociación de pescadores celebra que su llamado a eliminar el infame "sistema de doble penalización" del texto del Reglamento fue finalmente aprobado por los colegisladores.
El 26 de abril, la Unión Europea y la República de Mauricio firmaron un nuevo Protocolo para aplicar el Acuerdo de Asociación de Pesca Sostenible, estableciendo las condiciones legales para permitir que los buques pesqueros atuneros de la UE pesquen en las aguas de Mauricio durante los próximos 4 años. Si bien el sector pesquero de la UE se congratula en general de este acuerdo, lamenta la oportunidad perdida de reforzar la pesca sostenible y la gobernanza de los océanos en el Océano Índico vinculando este y otros acuerdos de pesca a las políticas y negociaciones de gestión regional.
Le 26 avril, l'Union européenne et la République de Maurice ont signé un nouveau Protocole visant à mettre en place un accord de partenariat durable en matière de pêche, fixant les conditions légales permettant aux navires de pêche thonière de l'UE de pêcher dans les eaux de Maurice pour les 4 prochaines années. Alors que le secteur de la pêche de l'UE est largement favorable à cet accord, il regrette l'occasion manquée de renforcer la pêche durable et la gouvernance des océans dans l'océan Indien en liant ces et d'autres accords de pêche aux politiques régionales de gestion et de négociations.
Mr Karmenu Vella, Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, met yesterday with a Europêche delegation representing the long distance fishing fleet in Europe. Both Commissioner Vella and Europêche valued positively the major improvements made in the external dimension of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which positions the EU distant-water fishing fleets at the forefront of the world's sustainable fisheries. The sector recalled the importance of adopting more fisheries agreements with 3rd countries which must be linked to trade and regional policies. Europêche requested further diplomatic pressure on Norway on the issue of snow crabbing and other important fish stocks in the Barents Sea and Svalbard waters.
The Council of the EU and the European Parliament have reached a political agreement on a new legislative framework for the sustainable management of the external fishing fleets. The new regime sets out strict, transparent and harmonised rules for issuing and managing fishing authorisations to EU vessels fishing outside Community waters and to foreign vessels operating in EU waters. While Europêche agreed on the need to modernise the system, the fishing body urged the deletion of certain provisions which were threatening the survival of responsible fishing companies. In this sense, the fishing association celebrates that their call to eliminate the infamous “double penalty system” from the text of the Regulation was finally endorsed by the co-legislators.
Today, the European Commission has published its Communication in response to the citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Stop Finning — Stop the trade’. The campaign aims to end international trade of loose shark. In response to the campaign, the Commission will launch an impact assessment by the end of the year to measure the effectiveness and contribution of EU rules against finning. The Commission will aim to better enforce the EU’s already strong traceability measures and to improve data relating to imports and exports of shark products. Finally, the Commission will aim at enhancing the role of the EU in the global fight against shark finning. Europêche believes that the current framework in Europe guarantees that all shark catches are legal and sustainable. Even if the policy is functioning well, there is always room for improvement and for that reason the sector welcomes the decision to assess the situation in depth before taking any legislative measure.