FISHFILES LITE OCTOBER 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.

Common fisheries policy

1. ICES advices closure of cod fisheries in the Eastern Channel, Skagerrak, North Sea, Irish Sea and West of Scotland, implying a de facto moratorium on most demersal fisheries in the areas concerned.

2. The EU discussed CFP reforms again, focusing on enforcement of conservation regulations, a new action plan for Mediterranean fisheries and the recovery plan for hake and cod stocks.

3. The European Commission held a one-day seminar to promote the concept of multi-annual management plans for fish stocks.

4. A new fisheries agreement was concluded between the EU and Mozambique.

5. Fishing opportunities were allocated under the extension to the EU-Angola fisheries agreement (to August 2002)

6. EU import tariffs for Czech and Polish fishery products were reduced pending gradual elimination by 2005/2004 respectively.

7. The EU Council ratified the EU-Sao Tome fisheries agreement (to May 2005).

8. The EU Council modified the 2002 TACs for a number of fish stocks, ( sprat, sand eel, plaice, herring, blue and white marlin, anchovy, sole, northern prawn, halibut, tuna and swordfish).

9. The Commission proposed ambitious measures to ensure the sustainability of fisheries in the Mediterranean.

10. Stop fishing notices were issued on cod, sprat, sand-eel, mackerel and Nephrops (due to exhaustion of quota) for vessels from France, Sweden and Portugal.

11. Technical conservation regulations governing Antarctic fisheries were modified to bring them into line with recent measures introduced by the CCAMLR.

Fish hygiene

12. A preliminary risk assessment study on bacterial pathogens in food was announced by the Scientific Committee on Food.

13. The EU Food Safety Authority published a risk assessment on iodine in foods; A major risk factor is high consumption of marine algal products.

14. The Commission lifted the requirement for mandatory testing for chloramphenicol in some Chinese fishery products, but not shrimp.

15. Restrictions on imports of fishery products from Vietnam and Pakistan were also lifted.

16. The Management Board of the European Food Safety Authority nominated its Executive Director.

17. A draft Directive was introduced laying down the sampling and test methods for dioxin-like PCBs in foodstuffs.

18. The Commission promoted Russia to List 1.

19. The Commission also decided to place Venezuela on List 1.

20. The Commission approved imports of bivalve molluscs from Tunisia.

21. A draft regulation was introduced requiring condensed smoke extracts to undergo food safety approval before use a food flavours.

Common fisheries policy

1. The latest scientific advice from the independent International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) published on Friday 25 October is to close all fisheries catching cod either as a target species or as by-catch in the Eastern Channel, Skagerrak, North Sea, Irish Sea and West of Scotland. As cod is caught along with a number of other species, this would mean a moratorium on most demersal fisheries in the areas concerned.

2. The EU Council met on 15 October to discuss the Commission proposals on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. The discussion focused a proposal for a new regulation to extend provisions for enforcement of conservation regulations, a new action plan for Mediterranean fisheries and the recovery plan for hake and cod stocks (taking into account new scientific evidence from ICES). A decision on demersal stocks has been brought forward and is expected by the end of 2002.

3. The European Commission held a one-day seminar in Brussels on the concept of multi-annual management plans for fish stocks. EU fisheries managers heard presentations from countries with experience of managing multi-annual quotas.

4. A new fisheries agreement was concluded between the EU and Mozambique. This 3 year agreement, expected to come into effect in 2004, will provide fishing opportunities for 59 EU vessels (49 for tuna and 10 deepwater shrimp) in return for EUR4.1 million per year.

5. Fishing opportunities are allocated to Member States under the extension to the EU-Angola fisheries agreement (to August 2002)

6. EU import tariffs for Czech fishery products were reduced and on some products were eliminated. Tariffs on all fishery products are reduced to zero from January 2005. EU import tariffs on all fishery products from Poland will be reduced to zero from January 2004.

7. The EU Council approved a regulation ratifying the EU-Sao Tome fisheries agreement (to May 2005). Sets out the fishing opportunities for 66 EU vessels from Spain, France, Portugal, fishing for tuna (and 3 vessels exploiting an experimental crab fishery).

8. Due to modification of scientific advice on fish stocks by ICES, NAFO, ICCAT and the IBSFC, the EU Council has modified the 2002 TACs for a number of fish stocks, and the allocation of these resources to Member States. Stocks affected include sprat, sand eel, plaice, herring, blue and white marlin, anchovy, sole, northern prawn, halibut, tuna and swordfish.

9. The Commission has proposed a series of ambitious measures specifically designed to ensure the sustainability of fisheries in the Mediterranean. This includes fisheries protection zones, stronger gear controls (including compulsory selectivity devices in some fisheries), limitations on fishing effort and better representation of stakeholders in fisheries management.

10. Stop fishing notices on cod, sprat, sand-eel, mackerel and Nephrops were issued (due to exhaustion of quota) on vessels from France, Sweden and Portugal.

11. Technical conservation regulations governing Antarctic fisheries were modified to bring then into line with recent measures introduced by the CCAMLR; includes changes to fishing gear rule, observer rules, and incidental catch of seabirds and marine mammals. The new consolidated regulation sets out the full set of fisheries conservation measures applied to EU vessels fishing in Antarctic waters. A new control regime was also defined by a new Council regulation.

Fish hygiene

12. A preliminary risk assessment study on bacterial pathogens in food was announced by the Scientific Committee on Food. Commission has requested risk assessment on acrylamides in foods. An ongoing discussion on non-dioxin like PCBs in food was deferred.

13. The EU Food Safety Authority published a risk assessment on iodine in foods; seaweed and fishery products are the major dietary source. An upper tolerable intake level for adults is set at 600 microgram/day. A major risk factor is high consumption of marine algal products.

14. The Commission decided to lift the requirement for mandatory testing for chloramphenicol in some Chinese fishery products (now not required for whole fish packed at sea, presented in their original packaging). Shrimp are excluded unless caught in the Atlantic.

15. Restrictions on imports of fishery products from Vietnam and Pakistan were also lifted, following satisfactory inspection missions by Commission service and receipt of guarantees from the Competent Authority.

16. The Management Board of the European Food Safety Authority nominated Geoffrey Podger (formerly of the UK Food Standards Agency) as its Executive Director.

17. A draft Directive was introduced laying down the sampling methods and the methods of analysis for the official control of dioxins and the determination of dioxin-like PCBs in foodstuffs.

18. The Commission recognized the “State Fisheries Committee of the Russian Federation ”, assisted by the “Department of Sanitary and Epidemiological Surveillance (Gossanepidnadzor)of the Ministry of Health (Minzdrav)of the Russian Federation ” as the Competent Authority for certification of the Russian fishery product exports to the EU, and defined the certificate to be used. This places Russia on List 1 of countries permitted to supply the EU.

19. The Commission also decided to place Venezuela on List 1, nominating the Instituto Nacional de la Pesca y Acuacultura (Inapesca) as the Competent Authority for certification of Venezuelan fishery product exports to the EU.

20. The Commission also approved imports of bivalve molluscs from Tunisia, and nominated the “direction générale des services vétérinaires (DGSV)” as the Competent Authority.

21. A draft regulation was introduced which will require smoke flavours (based on condensed smoke) to undergo approval based on food safety criteria before marketing. Each smoke flavour is to be considered as a different product. The ban on unauthorized products will take effect 30 months after introduction of the regulation. This is likely to result in a de facto ban on most smoke flavours.

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