The decision by the Council of Fisheries Ministers to provide special treatment small scale liners and netters who depend on bass for their livelihoods has been welcomed by LIFE (Low Impact Fishers of Europe)
The EU Commission’s original proposal had been for a blanket ban on targeted fishing for bass for the first half of 2016, which LIFE says would have been disastrous for the small-scale sector, while allowing larger vessels to retain trawl-caught bass by-catches.
‘Painstaking collaborative work undertaken since October by national level fishers’ organisations, NGOs and administrations from UK, France and Holland has paid off. Many small scale fishing businesses were facing bankruptcy had Commission proposals been implemented in full. The Council decision gives them a chance to survive,’ comments LIFE.
‘We understand that the six-month fishery closure from January 1 to June 31 will still stand for larger scale operations, but that liners and netters will be subject to a differentiated approach. They will have to tie up for two months from February to March, coinciding with the peak spawning period. But an 8-week curtailment in earnings, whilst economically damaging, is much better than the alternative.’
French State Secretary for Transport, the Sea and Fisheries Alain Vidalies acknowledged the high degree of dependency of bass handliners on bass, and said that this had influenced the Council decision.
As a result, there will be a six-month closure of commercial bass fisheries (January to June), with partial exemptions for low impact, inshore fisheries, while recreational anglers are limited to catch and release for the first six months of 2016 and a one fish bag for the rest of the year. Small scale liners and netters have a 1300kg monthly limit and a closed season during February and March while other operators have a 1000kg monthly limit outside the closure.
‘The Council decision gives a breathing space both to the bass and to the fishers whose livelihoods depend on the resource,’ says LIFE.
