In a new report, The EU Parliament urges the Commission to reconsider the present system of TAC’s and quotas, adding that it is “insufficient to measure fishing effort in a uniform way”.
The report was in response to the Commission’s communication last April on the role of the Common Fisheries Policy in implementing an ecosystem approach to marine management. The parliamentarians labeled the initiative “a contribution”, and conceded that management of fishing efforts is “needed”, but also stressed that the existing instruments should not be changed “until an alternative that ensures a more adequate exploitation of fisheries resources has come up”.
When measuring the fishing effort, the MP’s said that the diversity of fleets and gear must be taken into consideration. “Controlling fishing effort should take account of the various species, the various fishing gear and the assessed impact of catches on stocks of each species”, states the report.
Fisheries management measures – such as technical modifications to nets, the closure of certain areas and the reduction of fishing effort – should be “diversified, specific and adapted to each case”, it added.