Hearing on the CFP reform was held at the Fisheries Committee of the European Parliament where different opportunity for progress has been discussed. In his speech EU Commissioner for Fisheries Dr Joe Borg said that previous discussions have consistently enriched the reform debate. He told that the effort of past four years to improve the situation for the sector and deliver a healthy marine environment to sustain our fishing industry has begun to pay dividends.
In order to improve further many specific areas of fisheries policy needs urgent attention. For that the Council recently adopted the IUU Regulation and that is why the Commission has tabled a proposal to overhaul the CFP’s control policy so as to make management more efficient and enforce CFP rules properly.
Dr Borg said that the fuel crisis and economic downturn have shown how difficult it is to establish a stable economic basis for the fishing industry and profitability levels to sustain it over the long term. He also said that structural changes will thus be inevitable to ensure that, once the storm has passed, the industry is in a position to enjoy long-term sustainability.
According to him marketing strategies for fisheries products also needs thorough reform. He said that there is a need of initiatives that will help increase returns to the sector by improving the image of its products and thus satisfy these consumers. He added that it is not a solution to “renationalise” the policy because fisheries is about harvesting a moving resource which depends on shared marine ecosystems.
Dr Borg opined that there is a need to ensure greater involvement by all stakeholders, not just fishermen, in decision-making. A deeper regional dimension for the CFP is also to be look into. Of course, a common policy is needed where all European fisheries are based on the same principles of ecological, economical and social sustainability, expressed Borg. Besides, there are other details of the recommendations made for the reformation of the Common Fisheries Policy which can be found in the concern website.
