Fishermen across the EU may soon be prevented from catching any more fish than that species can reproduce, in an effort to replenish depleted stocks.
The reform’s authors might have had good intentions, but these measures won’t be effective
But efforts at reforming the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy, which environmentalists say has led to rampant overfishing, have received a resounding thumbs-down from the local fishing sector and a tepid response from the Government.
European parliamentarians yesterday voted overwhelmingly in favour of a comprehensive reform to replace the EU’s existing quota-based system, which member states negotiate among themselves, with one based on “maximum fishing yields”.
The reform would also ban the practice of throwing unwanted, dead fish back into the sea, requiring fishermen to land all the fish they catch. It is believed such “discards” account for a quarter of all EU catches.
Proponents say the reform package, which must be discussed by the EU Commission and Council between now and June with a view to coming into force by 2015, would replenish stocks by 2020 and secure fishermen’s long-term future.
But according to local fishing co-op president Ray Bugeja, the reform package is a double slap in the face.
“The whole concept is anti-fishing. Not only will fishermen be allowed to catch fewer fish because of the maximum yield concept, but the way in which the discard policy has been done away with is completely counterproductive,” Mr Bugeja said.
Existing fishing regulations prohibit fishermen from catching fish smaller than the stipulated minimum weight or size of that species.
As a result, catches are often sorted at sea and smaller fish thrown overboard, dead.
The EU wants fishermen to bring all these fish ashore but not to sell them, with member states instead allowed to hand them out “for beneficial or charitable purposes”.
“Fishermen must bring fish to shore, give them away to charity and have them deducted from their quota,” Mr Bugeja said.
“The reform’s authors might have had good intentions, but these measures won’t be effective.”
Co-operative secretary Paul Piscopo spoke similarly. “Something had to be done about discards, but if fishermen stand to gain nothing, they’re unlikely to bring all the fish to shore,” he said.
Mr Piscopo said the EU had still not tackled the “biggest problem” with its Common Fisheries Policy: its lack of regional provisions.
“Not all fishing zones, fleets or fish species are the same. How can Malta’s and Ireland’s fishermen be governed by the same policies?” he asked.
The Government echoed this view, saying that while the proposed reform was ambitious, it needed to be more specific in dealing with the range of fisheries, from large-scale to artisanal, rather than having a one-size fits-all solution.
It also called for the curtailment of discards to be crafted in a way that avoids fishery disruptions.
The proposed fisheries fund came in for praise, especially as it singles out small scale fisheries as needing aid.
It would also assist new fishermen and in modernisation, diversification and acquaculture.
The proposal foresees significant growth in the EU’s aquaculture capacity.
“The proposals are encouraging for us,” said Federation of Maltese Aquaculture Producers spokesman John Refalo.
“There’s huge scope for growth in European aquaculture – just 0.2 per cent of global production happens within the EU.”
EU member states have until 2014 to come up with specific aquaculture policies and Malta has launched a draft straegy.