A New Way of Managing Fisheries in the EU?

[Leon Roskilly]

From the EU notes in preparation for the April Council of Ministers:

 

"The reformed CFP has so far concentrated on the recovery of the most threatened stocks, which are also amongst those of greatest commercial importance, to bring them within safe biological limits as quickly as economic and social factors allow.

 

This focus on the most endangered fish stocks is inevitable and necessary, since healthier stocks and sustainable fishing would yield considerably higher economic returns than at present.

 

At the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development the international community set itself the objective of managing fish stocks at MSY levels by 2015.

 

For the Community, which has adopted an eco-system-based approach to fisheries management in the 2002 reform of the CFP, this is not only highly desirable for stock conservation reasons but also will contribute to rebuilding economic profitability in the fishing industry.

 

A fisheries management system that delivers maximum sustainable yield would bring greater economic benefits in the form of more predictable supply, increased quantities of larger-sized and better-priced adult fish, and more plentiful fishing grounds that will yield more revenue per unit of effort.

 

The challenge is to implement the measures that will achieve recovery of

stocks, which is a prerequisite for making harvesting at MSY levels possible.

 

In the first half of 2006 the Commission intends to open a debate on a Community strategy for gradually lowering fishing mortality in all major fisheries with a Communication on the implementation of the MSY objective by 2015.

 

At the same time, work on recovery and management plans will continue as they constitute necessary."

 

See: http://www.anglers-net.co.uk/sacn/latest/index.php?view=558

[Steve Coppolo]

I wonder how much all this is costing the tax payer, and whether the money would be better spent on the NHS?