FishFiles Lite for April 2002

Megapesca Lda. Portugal

www.megapesca.com

FISHFILES LITE APRIL 2002
Megapesca Lda. Portugal
www.megapesca.com

Fishfiles Lite is a monthly newsletter on key developments in EU fisheries and trade policy and legislation. For more details and to download the full text of any of the items below, please visit our site and subscribe to FishFiles Professional.

Contents this month:

FISHFILES LITE

1. Third countries added to List 1 of suppliers of fish to the EU
2. Chlormphenicol shrimp to be destroyed (not re-exported)
3. Dioxins in fish oils
4. Commission considers risk of BSE agents contaminating fishmeal used for animal feeds
5. Approvals for zones and farms free of fish viral diseases
6. EU Directive strengthens fishing vessel safety measures
7. EU-Angola fisheries agreement extended to August 2002, pending negotiations.
8. Sustainability of EU catches under Mauritanian fisheries agreement question in Parliament.
9. Fishing opportunities under EU-Gabon fisheries agreement defined
10. Fisheries negotiations between EU and Senegal break down over money
11. 45.5 million EUR spent on ACP fisheries 1995-2001.
12. Canary Islands get an extra 40,000 tonnes duty free fish
13. Consolidated EU Common Customs Tariff published
14. Tariff elimination goes ahead on fisheries products from Hungary, Slovenia, Lithuania and Estonia.
15. Spanish challenge to EU allocation of NAFO quotas.


Fish hygiene issues

1. STANDING VETERINARY COMMITTEE adds four countries to List I - Slovenia, Croatia , Gabon and  Turkey. Uruguay approved for bivalve molluscs.

2. All member states to destroy the batches of shrimps from China which test positive for chloramphenicol (re-export not permitted).

3. Commissioner comments on potential for removing dioxins from fish oils used in animal feeds (either reduces nutritional value, or too expensive).

4. Commissioner answers question regarding the ban on feeding fishmeal to mammals, and risk of TSE/BSE like diseases (precautionary only)

5. COMMISSION DECISION approves programmes and approved zones and farms with regard to viral fish diseases

CFP issues:

6. EU Directive substantially amends and strengthens fishing vessel safety measures for vessels >24m, to include better fire protection, life saving appliances, construction and stability features.

7. EU-Angola fisheries agreement now running until August 2002, pending negotiations on renewal.

8. Sustainability of EU catches under Mauritanian fisheries agreement questioned in Parliament. Agreement has allocated substantial funds for fisheries research and monitoring.

9. Fishing opportunities under EU-Gabon fisheries agreement defined, 38 tuna seiners, 26 long-liners, 1200 GRT/month of trawlers to Spain, France, Greece and Portugal (until December 2005).

10. Fisheries negotiations between EU and Senegal break down over money

11. DG Development announces that 45.5 million EUR sent on fisheries support in ACP countries in 1995-2001. More to come.

12. Canary Islands get an extra 40,000 tonnes per year of duty free fish imports as part of a general support measure; St.Pierre and Miquelon get somewhat less.

13. Consolidated EU Common Customs Tariff published for fishery products.

14. Tariff elimination goes ahead on fisheries products from Hungary, Slovenia, Lithuania and Estonia.

15. Another time wasting and expensive delaying action by Spanish interests, this time challenging EU allocation of NAFO quotas is thrown out by the European Court of Justice. With costs.