EU imposes further fish quota cuts

The European Commission delivered bad news for fishermen today - belt-tightening is needed again next year to give endangered fish stocks a chance to recover.

Conservation measures for desperately depleted cod have not delivered the promised revival of supplies – partly because of continued over-fishing exceeding agreed quota limits.

Now EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg is recommending cuts of up to 25% in permitted catches for cod and other main species next year.

Fishermen have been told for years they must endure short-term sacrifices to allow main fish stocks to recover and secure the fishing industry’s long-term future.

But today’s proposals acknowledge that stocks are still in dire straits, with fleets accused of prolonging the agony by exceeding annual catch quotas and delaying the time when fish are plentiful once more.

Mr Borg said he was basing his recommendations on the latest evidence from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, (ICES) about the state of main stocks in the North Sea and the Atlantic.

Mr Borg tried to sound upbeat in Brussels, insisting that the state of a variety of fish stocks in European waters had improved since 2005.

But the improvement had been slow, with the state of nearly 60 species unknown because of poor data collection.

He also made a dig at EU ministers for repeatedly setting the annual catch quotas higher than sustainable for the available stocks, saying: “The fleets have not been able to adapt quickly enough to the scientific advice (to cut catch levels).

“Moreover, regrettably, in some cases, recent years have seen TACs (annual catch quotas) being set above levels that would be sustainable.”

He admitted the Commission was still “very concerned” about cod conservation, particularly in the North Sea, where “things took a turn for the worse” last year, despite conservation measures set up in 2002. In 2008, he said, a greater proportion of available cod was caught than in any year since 1999.

Mr Borg added: “What is more, there are not enough older, spawning fish and too few young fish coming into the stock since 2005.”

A Commission statement said: “Real-time closures and cod-avoidance schemes have not been enough to protect the stock and have had little effect on fishing patterns.

“Bringing about an improvement in this situation will mean stepping up conservation efforts still further.......this will result in lower levels of fishing effort and therefore in less pressure on cod. Catch quotas will be adapted in each area according to the amounts of cod left in the sea”.

The Commission is pressing EU ministers to agree on reductions of 25% in “vulnerable” stocks of anglerfish, and whiting in the Irish Sea and west of Scotland, Irish Sea sole, and herring in the North and West of Ireland.

For 50 other stocks, cuts of 15% are recommended.

And, for quotas of West of Scotland haddock and sole of the eastern English Channel, the Commission wants “important” reductions to be agreed by ministers.

The Commission insists it has balanced the scientific advice with the needs of fishermen.

“These reductions go in the direction of the scientific advice, but have been moderated in order to alleviate hardship in the short term,” it stated.

“The bottom line is that no fish means no fishermen. So while being a difficult pill to swallow, these measures are also necessary if we are to bring stocks to sustainable levels”.