Borg stands his ground over Polish fishermen

EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg is not changing tack over cod fishing in the Eastern Baltic.

On Tuesday, a group of Polish fishermen protested in front of the European Council Building against the decision on quotas taken last July by the European Commission and calling on Dr Borg to resign. Asked for his reaction to the protest, Dr Borg said every member state is entitled to its share of the cake but if one member state takes a bigger share, then automatically, the other member states suffer.

"This is what happened in Poland. Poland has not only exhausted its cod quota but has taken almost twice its share.

"It did this at a time when Baltic cod stock is in real danger of collapse," he said.

While he understands the situation of Polish fishermen who rely on cod for their income, the Commission said he has to safeguard the livelihood of other fishermen in the Baltic who also depend on cod for their livelihood, and who have not yet exhausted their quotas.

"This is why the Commission is legally bound to act and to close a fishery once a quota is exhausted.

"If cod disappears from the Baltic Sea, the whole fishing industry there will collapse and fishermen will be faced with bankruptcy. I want to do everything in my power to avoid that," he insisted.

Last Tuesday 100 angry Polish fisherman armed with banners and Polish flags shouted slogans against the Maltese Commissioner for "making them starve" following the Commission's decision to freeze cod catches in the Baltic.

Warsaw had contested the EC's decision last July accusing Commissioner Borg of inflating the fishing stocks problem.