Yesterday, both the Budget and Development Committees in the European Parliament recommended rejecting the extension of the EU-Morocco fisheries partnership agreement. The opinions of these two committees will provide input to the Fisheries Committee, which is expected to vote on the agreement on 22 or 23 November.
As the BS RAC discussed the proposed multiannual plan for Baltic salmon for the first time, a number of specific issues were on the agenda, among them the proposed targets, data collection and reporting, the suggested phase out of compensatory releases and minimum landing sizes.
Published yesterday, the report carried out by three expert marine science consultancies, Researching the Environmental Impacts of the MSC Certification Programme, concludes that those fisheries which are engaged in Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification process show progress in minimizing negative environmental impacts.
Today Greenpeace Nordic filed a criminal complaint to the European Commission against the Swedish Government for breaching the EU Habitats Directive, and specifically for the failure to properly implement the rules which restrict fisheries in the designated Natura 2000 areas.
On Thursday 27th October, Commissioner Damanaki will be exchanging views with the Members of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee of the UK Parliament on the Commission proposals for a reform of the EU Common Fisheries Policy. The session will be webstreamed live.
On Friday, European Fisheries Ministers agreed on levels for Total Allowable Catches (TACs) for the Baltic Sea in 2012. Building on the progress from last year, Ministers decided to apply cuts for those stocks where scientists had recommended decreases. Although, some important steps towards stock recovery and the achievement of Maximum Sustainable Yield by 2015 were made, the Minsters decisions are still not in line with scientific advice for all stocks.
Next year’s catch quotas for the Baltic Sea will be decided at the October Council meeting on 21 October.
Today, the UK Environment, Food and Rural Affairs committee sat to discuss the CFP reform. Professor Alex Rogers from the University of Oxford and the new economics foundation (nef) a founding member of OCEAN2012 were invited to give evidence.
The report reveals the inefficiency of a European fisheries management system which rewards those who underperform in social, economic and environmental terms and punishes those that generate more societal benefits.
168 organisations from 18 EU member states, most of whom represent small-scale fishing organisations, civil society organisations and NGOs, have signed a declaration which calls for those fishing in the most sustainable manner are granted priority access to fisheries.