The Commission “Blue team” visit to the Ministry in Copenhagen took place on the 8th September. Representatives of the EC presented their proposals for the CFP reform and invited approximately 25 Danish stakeholders to ask questions and pass comment.
The background for the need for a “radical reform” was explained by the Commission representative along with their “vision for fisheries in 2020”. Twelve key policy objectives were then given as the tools for achieving healthy and productive EU fisheries: The MSY principle, Ecosystem-approach, discards, Transferrable Fishing Concessions (TFCs), improved scientific advice, aquaculture, regionalisation, smarter financing, improved control, external dimension, growth/jobs/coastal communities (EMFF) and the social agenda (small-scale fishermen).
During the stakeholder discussion, significant attention was given to TFCs. Perhaps surprisingly, as Denmark has been a key proponent of the ITQ system, several voices questioned the mandatory nature of the tool in the Commission proposals as Europe has diverse fisheries to which this might not be the most suitable method of regulating access to fisheries. Questions were also raised over the possibility of foreign companies purchasing quota across national boundaries by purchasing foreign vessels.
Further details of the plans for the discard ban and implementing MSY as a management objective for all fisheries from 2015 were given by the Commission, who argued that these policies will incentivise fishermen to increase selectivity so that their quota is not used up by fish which they are subsequently unable to sell.