According to the European fisheries news the Agriculture & Fisheries Council will meet in Luxembourg on Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 October, under the Presidency of Michel Barnier, French Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries. Commissioners Joe Borg and Mariann Fischer Boel will represent the Commission at the meeting. Fisheries points will be dealt with first on Monday, and a joint press conference will be held at the end of these discussions. A press conference on the Agriculture points will be held on Tuesday at the end of the Council meeting.
It is the said that the Council has some points to be discussed as the agenda. There will point of fishing opportunities for the Baltic Sea for 2009 – political agreement Council will discuss the Commission’s proposal (IP/08/1299) on fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2009 with a view to reaching political agreement. The proposal follows scientific advice that most stocks in the Baltic Sea should be subject to reduced catches in 2009.
In the case of the Western cod stock, the Commission is proposing a plan which includes a 15 percent deduction in fishing opportunities while in the case of Western herring stock, a 63 percent decrease is being proposed. For the Eastern cod stock however the Commission is proposing a 15 percent increase in the EU quota as the situation of this stock has improved in recent years.
Regarding deep-sea fishing opportunities for 2009 and 2010 the commission said that the political agreement Council will discuss the Commission’s proposal (IP/08/1441) on fishing opportunities on deep sea species for 2009 and 2010 with a view to reaching political agreement. It si said that the proposal reflects both commitments made by Member States in 2006 to progressively reduce catch levels on certain stocks to zero over four years, and the recent scientific advice confirming the poor biological condition of many deep sea stocks,.
