European Commission Fisheries Dr Joe Borg has expressed his review of some of the issues the fishing industry is facing and also explains the challenges and opportunities that 2009 will bring. He praised Fisheries Council’s backing for our cod recovery plan. The Member States’ unanimous support for this flagship issue is excellent news for this crucial stock. It will now benefit from a better management framework, says Borg.
The Council has managed to have this year’s proposal adopted a full month earlier than in previous years. Borg said that he intend to ensure that these changes for the better remain in place and, where possible, further improved upon. The promising results from many of long-term management plans show that the Council was right to make them a central element of EU policy.
The Commission proposal for a root-and-branch overhaul of the fisheries control system is perhaps this year’s most important fisheries initiative. Together with this year’s IUU Regulation, it is yet another clear signal that the European Union is serious about ensuring that honest fishermen and traders get a fair deal and that wrongdoers are dealt with appropriately, told Borg.
According to Borg the agreement on cod recovery plan at the November Council gave EU a sound basis for our negotiations with Norway, which will continue as of 8 December. He added that the complexity of the negotiations this year resolve around the issues of reducing discards and the difficult challenge of finding a balance in the exchange of quotas.
Borg also believes that the ICCAT meeting in Morocco managed to achieve balance. He told that they have managed to push through a landmark agreement on controlling both fishing and farming capacity. The measures agreed should bring about an immediate and significant reduction in fishing pressure on the fragile bluefin tuna stock.
