FISHFILES LITE MARCH 2004
Megapesca Lda.
Portugal
www.megapesca.com

Dear Colleague,

Fishfiles Lite is a free monthly newsletter summarizing key developments in EU fisheries and fish trade policy and legislation. The full text of all of the items below is available to subscribers to Megapesca's FishFiles Professional service

(http://www.megapesca.com/megashop/legis1.html).

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Fishfiles Lite

Common Fisheries Policy

1.
"Arbroath Smokies" are now a protected geographical indication.
2. New reduced or zero-rated  tariff quotas introduced for wide range of fishery products
3. European Parliament amends draft Regulation on dolphin friendly tuna tracking
4. EU's Commissioner for Fisheries indicates that only responsible fishers will be allowed to fish
5. Spanish vessels exhaust quota for blue ling
6. Emergency actions introduced for the conservation of cod stocks
7. The Commission proposes fishing effort limits for demersal fish and shellfish in "western waters".
8. The Commission announces new controls for industrial fisheries
9. The EU Council of Ministers will ban drift nets, and introduce "pingers" to protect dolphins
10. The EU Council approved the withdrawal price and marketing support scheme for 2004
11. Definitive anti-dumping duties (range 30-54%) were set on rainbow trout imported from
Norway.
12. Fisheries partnership agreement initialled with
Cote dŽIvoire.
13. The European Parliament asked for EUR150 million to help distressed whitefish fishing communities.

Fish Hygiene

14.
Rapid alerts notified for 43 consignments of  fishery products
15. New regulation on official control of food and feed passed by EU Parliament.
16. Change of the Competent Authority notified in
Vietnam.
17. The Food and Veterinary Office reports on food irradiation in
Switzerland
18. Commission asks for information on PCBs and dioxins in fish feeds; changes to limits are expected
19. Commission concerned about the use of carbon monoxide in tuna; tightened controls likely
20. Commissioner Byrne sets out the EU's philosophy of food control to a US Audience


Common Fisheries Policy

1. The European Commission passed a Regulation adding the term "Arbroath Smokies" (a hot smoked haddock product) to the list of protected geographical indications registered by the Commission.

2. The Council passed a Regulation setting new reduced or zero-rated  tariff quotas for a range of fishery products including tuna loins, cod , squid, herring, shrimp hake, grenadier, lobster, whiting, pollack and anchovies, operative up to the end of 2006.

3. European Parliament also proposed amendments to the draft Regulation to establish a tracking and verification system for tuna in respect of tuna caught without risk to dolphins.

4. In a speech in
Scotland, Dr. Fischler, the EU's Commissioner for Fisheries set out the paradoxes of technical measures for fisheries conservation, and suggested that in future access to fishing opportunities would be linked to adoption of technical measures.

5. A stop fishing notice was issued for Spanish vessels targeting blue ling in the water of ICES divisions VI and VII, due to exhaustion of quota.

6. The EU Council passed the new Regulation setting out the emergency actions for the conservation of cod stocks in the 
Kattegat, North Sea, Skagerrak west of Scotland and in the Irish Sea; it sets new TACs, a method for calculating future TACs, and effort limitations.

7. The European Commission has proposed a limit on the maximum level of fishing effort for demersal fish and shellfish in the so-called "western waters".

8. The European Commission announced strengthened monitoring and management of industrial fisheries for blue whiting, sandeel, Norway pout and sprat; the measures includes bycatch quotas, designated ports and improved measurement of mixed catches.

9. The Council of Ministers announced the intention to implement the Commission's proposals for protecting dolphins by banning drift nets, and the compulsory use of acoustic deterrent devices ("pingers") on fishing nets.

10. The Council passed the Regulations defining the withdrawal price support scheme for 2004 for fishery products subject to marketing support under the Common Fisheries Policy.

11. The EU Council passed a Regulation, setting out with a substantive justification, the definitive anti-dumping duties (range 30-54%) on rainbow trout exported from
Norway to the EU.

12. The Commission announced the initialling of a new fisheries partnership agreement with
Cote dŽIvoire. Worth EUR1 million/year in return for tuna and demersal fishing possibilities for tuna vessels 9,000 tonnes/year (34 tuna seiners, 11 surface longliners and 3 pole and line vessels).

13. The European Parliament passed a resolution on the whitefish stock crisis calling for EUR150 million of new budgetary allocation to ameliorate the consequences of fisheries management measures.


Fish Hygiene

14.
Rapid alerts notified for failure to comply with health conditions for 43 consignments of  fishery products including
Venezuela (shrimp), Chile (mussels), Colombia (prawns, shrimps), Brazil (shrimp), and Canada (monkfish).

15. The EU Parliament passed the new regulation on official control of food and feed, introducing performance criteria for competent authorities and a harmonised approach to official control systems in the Member States., as well as a risk-based approach to import controls, all to be applied from 2006.

16. The EU Commission approved the change of the Competent Authority in
Vietnam in respect of fishery products, which in future it will be the National Fisheries Quality Assurance and Veterinary Directorate (NAFIQAVED). New certificates specified.

17. The Food and Veterinary Office of DG SANCO reported on an inspection mission to
Switzerland for the purpose of assessing compliance with Community legislation for the irradiation of food. Additional guarantees are sought regarding dosimetry and hygiene conditions.

18. The Scientific Committee of Animal Health and the Food Chain asked Member States to supply information on camphechlor (toxaphene) and dioxins in fish feeds, following publication of an article in Science (December 2003) regarding organochlorine content of farmed salmon. Future changes to limits, sampling and analytical methods were discussed.

19. The Commission indicated that several member States were concerned about the use of carbon monoxide to change the colour of tuna. The
Netherlands said it would make its control method available for use by all Member States.

20. Commissioner Byrne spoke at a food safety conference in
Washington DC, outlining the EU's philosophy of food control and contrasting it with the USA.


Disclaimer

Whilst we use our best efforts to provide accurate information in this newsletter, Megapesca is not responsible for the results of any inaccuracies or omissions which may be found to exist in the information provided, or any loss of profits or other consequential damages that may result from actions or omissions based on the information supplied. Readers are advised that only the European Union legislation published in the paper editions of the Official Journal of the European Communities is deemed authentic.

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