The European Commission has put forward proposals to follow precautionary advice for virtually all deep sea stocks, and Commissioner Karmenu Vella commented that there is frequently incomplete knowledge on the state of these vulnerable stocks.
‘We have adopted important decisions on deep sea stocks. These are very vulnerable species that need decades to grow and reproduce. But we know one thing for certain; many of these stocks have been overfished for years’ he said.
‘I am satisfied that Council has followed these proposals for the large majority of stocks.’
This has made it possible to increase fishing opportunities in some cases, in line with scientific advice, such as for red sea bream in area 10. But fishing pressure has been reduced for all stocks for which the science recommended a reduction – such as for red sea bream in areas 6-8.
‘Member States made additional commitments to adopt national measures to protect juveniles,’ Kermenu Vella added.
‘Decisions today will also help our industry to avoid choke situations, such as where they would otherwise have to stop fishing for one stock because they ran out of quota for another. This is very important because it shows that solutions can be found to the landing obligation, which will enter into force on 1st January next year,’ he said.
‘These decisions will allow all EU fleets fishing deep sea stocks to remain profitable in 2019. This is particularly good news for some of the artisanal and small-scale fisheries that fish for deep sea species. I think this gives us a solid basis from which to progress further towards environmental, economic and social sustainability.’
EMFF
Karmenu Vella also said that the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund has bene under discussion, commenting that after four and a half years of its existence, only 13% of the Fund has been implemented.
‘I have informed Ministers that there is a clear risk of losing part of the funds that could otherwise benefit our fishermen, local communities or scientists. In fact, we are now mid-November and more than €400 million is at risk of being lost at the end of the year,’ he said.
‘I have asked them to take all possible measures to accelerate the implementation of the projects on the ground and offered them the full support of the Commission.’
