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October 2005

Common Fisheries Policy

1. New EU marine environmental policy outlined by the Commission.
2. ICES Scientific advice announced; further reductions in the fishing effort required
3. More funding announced for Member States data collection
4. Green Paper on EU Maritime Policy to be launched in early 2006.
5. EU-Comoros Fisheries Partnership Agreement ratified
6. New recovery measures agreed for Iberian hake and Norway lobster
7. Stop fishing notices issued for German, Polish, French and Danish vessels
8. New conservation measures proposed for European eel
9. New conservation measures proposed for octopus

Fish hygiene

10. Forty three consignments subject to Rapid Alerts in October 2005
11. FVO identifies deficiencies in fishery product hygiene controls in Belgium
12. FVO identifies deficiencies in fishery product hygiene controls in Ghana
13. Labeling requirements to be introduced for Gempylidae family (e.g. escolar)
14. New proposals for analytical methods for detection of smoke products
15. Lower limits for dioxins in foods (except eel and Baltic fish)
16. Oyster disease detected in Lough Foyle in UK/Ireland
17. Higher fluorine limits to be set in crustcaea used for animal feeds
18. New approach to MLRs for camphechlor in animal feeding stuffs

Common Fisheries Policy

1. The Commission outlined proposals for the Community's new marine environmental policy, announcing a new Directive requiring Member States to develop regional marine environmental strategies.

2. Scientific advice released by ICES confirmed the need for further reductions in the fishing effort for deep sea species, such as sharks, orange roughy and roundnose grenadier. Concern was again expressed for the condition of cod, southern hake, angler fish, skate, ray, and for flatfish stocks in the North Sea. Positive conditions are noted for some stocks such as Atlanto-Scandian herring and blue whiting, while haddock, though less abundant than last year, still remains in good shape.

3. The EU Council increased the Community funding for costs incurred by certain Member States in collecting data for the Common Fisheries Policy, to EUR164.5 million during the period 2001 to 2006.

4. At a speech in Lisbon, Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Commissioner Jo Borg announced that the Green Paper on Maritime Policy for the EU would be launched in early 2006.

5. The Council passed a Regulation setting out the conditions of the EU-Comoros Fisheries Partnership Agreement; providing fisheries access (2005 to 2010) for tuna seiners (Spain: 21 vessels, France: 18 vessels, and Italy: 1 vessel) and surface longliners (Spain: 12 vessels, Portugal: 5 vessels).

6. At the Fisheries Council meeting of October 2005, Fisheries ministers approved the proposed measures for the recovery of severely depleted Southern hake and Norway lobster in the Cantabrian Sea and Western Iberian Peninsula. Closed periods are defined for both fisheries.

7. Stop fishing notices issued for German, Polish, French and Danish vessels fishing for cod, herring, bluefin tuna and ling.

8. The European Commission proposed conservation measures for the European eel stock; Member States will be required to develop plans to ensure that 40% of adult eels escape to the sea to spawn.

9. The European Commission also proposed a new conservation measure for octopus; in future the minimum gutted weight of octopus landed from EU waters will be 500g.

Fish hygiene

10. Forty three Rapid Alerts involving 21 countries were detected, including 5 for carbon monoxide detected in tuna, and 11 consignments from Vietnam.

11. The FVO reported on a mission in April 2005 to assess health and hygiene controls for fishery products and bivalve molluscs in Belgium; the mission found that the Competent Authority (DG Control) had not detected major defects in establishments; persistent contamination of scallops with cadmium had not been addressed; laboratory tests used non-validated methods, and histamine analysis in tuna did not follow the prescribed protocol.

12. The FVO also reported on a mission in April 2005 to assess fishery product health controls for fishery products for EU export from Ghana; the mission found that the Competent Authority (Ghana Standards Board) had failed to identify deficient HACCP plans, did not carry out adequate histamine checks, and performed inadequate monitoring of organochlorines and heavy metals.

13. Following last year's EFSA opinion, the SCFCAH agreed unanimously that fish from the Gempylidae family (e.g. escolar) should only be permitted to enter Community trade when appropriately packaged and labeled. The Commission will draft a regulation.

14. The Committee has proposed a draft regulation on analytical methods for detection of smoke products in foods.

15. The Commission proposed amending Regulation (EC) No 466/2001 setting new (lower) maximum levels for dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in foods. There will be derogations for eel; and also for Finland and Sweden, to allow for higher dioxin levels in fish from the Baltic. Sampling methods and the methods of analysis will be specified.

16. Following detection of the oyster disease Bonamia ostreae in Lough Foyle in UK/Ireland in June 2005, the Commission has amended the list of areas considered to be free of certain diseases of bivalve molluscs.

17. The Commission proposed an increase in permitted level of fluorine in marine crustaceans such as marine krill used for animal feeds, following introduction of new processing techniques which result in higher levels of fluorine in the product.

18. Following scientific opinion the Commission has proposed replacing the current maximum level of 0.1 mg/kg camphechlor for all feeding stuffs, by specific maximum levels of 0.02 mg/kg in fish meal, 0.2 mg/kg for fish oil and 0.05 mg/kg for fish feed.