According to the council the negotiations took place against the usual background of extreme and draconian proposals from the Commission for big reductions in a number key TACs and quotas for the CFPO. It is said that the Trevose Closure remains in place for 2009 from 1 February to 31 March and was recognised by the Commission and UK officials as an important industry initiative.
The council further informed that oollover TACs were secured for a number of important Area VII stocks for the CFPO including; Monk, Megrim, Pollock, Haddock, Saithe, and Ling. These were achieved against the Commissions original position of significant cuts across all of these stocks. The Cod b-k TAC has under gone a significant change it has been split into an e-k TAC and d TAC. The split was unavoidable due to scientific and political argument and in the end both elements were increased.
The Commission informed that the 5 percent by-catch restriction for spurdogs was successfully removed for 2009, although this fishery will be kept under close review with their ultimate objective being a zero TAC. The Commission have reduced further the TAC for Porbeagle by 25 percent and to make this situation even worse the UK share is only around 2 tonnes.
The December negotiations are becoming increasingly difficult with an ever growing political and green influence. However the CFPO and the NFFO team in Brussels deployed every scientific, economic and political argument at our disposal.The CFPO has already begun talks with DEFRA and other member states to secure additional quota through international and domestic swaps and transfers in an effort to maximise fishing opportunities for 2009.
