FishFiles Lite for May 2002

Megapesca Lda. Portugal

www.megapesca.com

FISHFILES LITE MAY 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:

MEGAPESCA : FISHFILES LITE : FOR MAY 2002

Fish Hygiene

1. EU Parliament supports reforms to food hygiene regulations.
2. DG Health and Consumer Protection reports on a mission to assess Switzerland´s health controls for fish products
3. Question in EU parliament regarding a European patent issued last year for a transgenic fish

Common Fisheries Policy

1. Commission sets out roadmap on the Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. 
2. Proposed EU regulations for conservation of fish stocks
3. Proposed EU regulation to modify the FIFG
4. EUR272 million more cash proposed for scrapping of vessels
5. Discussion document proposing measures to eradicate IUU
6. Discussion document on environmental impact of fishing
7. New regulations for fishing vessel register data
8. Fishing agreement with Seychelles ratified
9. Fishing agreement with Guinea ratified
10. Portugal and Spain to extend their 1979 bilateral agreements with S.Africa
11. EU stops fishing for herring by Germany, and for cod, haddock and sole by Belgium.
12. Questions in EU Parliament on increase in drift net fishing in Mediterranean
13. Question in parliament regarding bycatch by Danish industrial vessels.
14. Parliament passes resolution on fisheries in developing countries
15. Parliamentary question regarding pricing policies in Greek fish farming
16. Commission considering US yellowfin ban may be in breach of WTO rules.

Fish Hygiene

1. The EU Parliament announces its support for the "hygiene package" reforms proposed by the Commission in 2000. This sets out a general food hygiene directive, plus regulations for foods of animal origin, and animal health rules, which will replace the existing 17 vertical hygiene directives.

2. DG Health and Consumer Protection reports on a mission to Switzerland to assess the health controls for fishery products exported to the EU (the country has 10 export establishments). Generally satisfactory. Some changes required to water quality monitoring, heavy metal testing and medical check for personnel.

3. Question in EU parliament regarding EU patenting last year of a transgenic fish (by a Canadian salmon producer). Focuses on legality and safeguards for consumers and environment. Answer sets out EU policy and law regarding genetic modification of animal products as food.

Common Fisheries Policy

1. At last, we have the publication of the Communication from the Commission on the Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.  The European Commission has set out an overview of the proposed policy reforms ("roadmap"). The new policy will focus on achieving environmental, economic and social sustainability of EU fisheries. Principles of good governance will be embodied (openness, participation, accountability, effectiveness and coherence). The core of the policy is a new conservation framework, based on multi-annual management plans setting reduced catch limits and strengthened technical measures. Discard ban trials will be introduced. Impacts of industrial fishing will be studied in more detail and a long-term strategy introduced for environmental protection in fishing. Community aid for vessel withdrawal will be increased, but there will no more support for renewal, modernization and export of vessels. New fleet "reference levels" will be set, and adjusted downwards when capacity is withdrawn with public aid. Tougher sanctions will be placed on Member States which do not comply with fleet register and reference levels, including withholding of FIFG aid. The Commission will specify in more detail enforcement obligations of Member States, with specific enforcement action plans and a joint multi-national inspection structure. There will be stricter VMS rules and the introduction of observers where other measures fail. The policy is expected to result in loss of an additional 28,000 jobs in fishing (cf. to present decline of 8000/year). Structural funds will therefore be more closely targeted to counter the socioeconomic impacts. In the longer term, research and consultation will be conducted on tradeable fishing rights and cost recovery for fisheries management. Improved governance will involve Regional Advisory Councils for fisheries management, and greater powers for Member States to take emergency measures in Community waters. The first package of reforms is presented now, with new regulations on conservation, removal of capacity and structural assistance, plus action plans for environmental policy and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

2. Commission has proposed regulations to set a new framework for conservation measures using multi-annual management plans which will include defined harvesting strategies, catch and fishing effort limits and technical measures for each fishery. Sets the framework for establishing "reference capacity" for fleet; strengthens the role of the Commission in ensuring that Member States enforce conservation regulations effectively; provides for consultation role of new Regional Advisory Committees

3. Commission has proposed a regulation to modify the FIFG to restrict aid for modernisation, renewal and export of fishing vessels; assist vessels affected by multi-annual management plans; and introduce a simpler system for limiting fishing capacity.

4. Commission has proposed a regulation to modify FIFG incentives for scrapping of vessels: measures include 20% more support for owners scrapping vessels affected by new multi-annual management plans, and extra budgets for Member States to fund this (EUR272 million on top of EUR 663 million already programmed).

5. Commission has published a discussion document proposing Community measures to eradicate illegal unrecorded and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Includes proposals which could lead up to sanctions on re-flagging of EU vessels, a ban on chartering non-EU flagged vessels, making products from IUU fishing illegal, publishing lists of IUU fishing vessels, and firms and information campaigns.

6. Commission publishes a discussion document on reducing environmental impact of fishing, includes stronger technical measures to reduce discards and eco-system impacts (including discard bans) to be introduced by end of 2003.

7. New regulations extends data to be recorded on fishing vessel register, to include owner, owners agent, their addresses and place of construction of vessel.


8. Regulation proposed to allocate fishing opportunities in Seychelles EEZ for 40 tuna seine vessels (to France, Spain, UK and Italy) and 27 surface longliners (Spain, Portugal and France) in return for EUR3.46 million/ year until January 2005.

9. Regulation proposed to allocate fishing opportunities in Guinea EEZ for demersal trawl,shrimp, tuna pole & line and tuna seine vessels (to France, Spain, Greece, Portugal and Italy) for 2002.

10. EU Council gives permission for Portugal and Spain to extend their 1979 bilateral agreements with S.Africa to 2002.

11. EU prevents fishing for herring by Germany, and for cod, haddock and sole by Belgium.

12. Questions in EU Parliament on increase in drift net fishing in Mediterranean by non-EU states after the EU ban. Answer sets out policy; no change forseen

13. Question in parliament regarding bycatch of juvenile haddock by Danish industrial vessels. Commission is considering lower bycatch limits for industrial fishing.

14. Parliament resolution on fisheries in developing countries. Calls for continuation of fisheries agreements, but with greater convergence with development needs. Asks Commission to create mechanisms for consultation with small scale fishers in 3rd.countries.

15. Parliamentary question regarding pricing policies of Greek fish farming enterprises. Commission has not identified any unlawful practices and calls on farmers to organise better marketing.

16. Commission considering US yellowfin ban may be in breach of WTO rules. US requires tracking of yellow fin tuna to ensure it is from "dolphin-safe" sources. A ban imposed by the US on Spanish product in 2001 has not been lifted despite introduction of a tracking system.


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