The European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries himself, Virginijus Sinkeviciusa month ago, it announced a package of four measures that proposes to prohibit trawling in marine protected areas, in addition to suggesting the ambitious decarbonisation of the fleet. Will occupy 30% of each Member State’s waters by 2030. Since then, Spain has shown its opposition and sought allies among its community partners to show a more or less frontal position of refusal. France was one of the first countries to position itself on the Spanish side, and this Monday Fisheries Ministers of both countries led the opposition of the Twenty-seven the Brussels plan against trolling. in total At the Cabinet meeting this Monday, ten countries rejected the Commission’s proposal. and as a whole, Member States warned of the economic impact of such a far-reaching measure on the sector. “Out of focus and unbalanced”, stated Luis Planas, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
Although there are four initiatives that make up this, Action Plan to protect and restore marine ecosystems aiming to gradually eliminate bottom fishing in all protected areas, for example, was the most commented on because of its direct effects on the fleet. big sun.
Planas began his intervention in the public debate by asking the European fisheries sector “what the future holds” and called for a balance to be struck between three pillars: environmental, economic and social. Therefore, emphasizing that “removing trawling in all marine protected areas without exception is not enough”, he said: He’s on a “tight schedule” and an action plan together with “solid scientific work” economic and social impact study. “We don’t agree, and the commissioner already knows that. stamp bottom troll,” he stressed.
His French counterpart herve bervillepointed out that the proposal “put into action” would be “to condemn artisanal fisheries in France and Europe and not tomorrow, twenty or ten years from now”. “It is not a proportional target and is not accompanied by any in-depth impact assessment. Presenting this to the sectors is neither a serious job nor a task. “There is no difference between different hunting techniques, and the need to deal with issues one by one is not taken into account,” he said.
Moreover The German headline was critical – German Minister of Agriculture, who said, “However, it does not seem very suitable for reaching the targets”, Cem Ozdemir– like ministers Portugal, Denmark, Belgium, Greece, Ireland, Netherlands, Italy or Cyprus.
Sinkevicius
Fisheries Commissioner, Virginijus Sinkeviciushe said at the end of the discussion that he had “well graded” the ministers’ contributions, but reminded that Member States should propose measures; they would be evaluated on a “case-by-case” basis by a scientific committee.
“I recommend that you assess the situation in your waters and talk to the relevant actors,” the Commissioner requested and agreed. “Not an easy discussion” but he insisted that the disruption of the ecosystem puts the survival of the industry at great risk. “You have to find a balance,” said Sinkevicius, who thinks the Action Plan has accomplished this.
France begins closing fishing in its waters to protect dolphins
France introduced the first fishing systems to protect dolphins from accidental hunting. Specifically, it will do so in Atlantic waters, particularly in the Bay of Biscay, within a six-month period by decision of the State Council. In this way, the French country is following the recommendation of the International Council for Marine Exploration (ICES), even though it exceeded the recommendation of the report from the beginning of the year, of scientists betting on a four-month ban.
The highest body in charge of administrative resources announced yesterday that it has ordered the cessation of fishing “at appropriate times”, a measure to be added to acoustic deterrent devices used on fishing boats (including all Spanish boats). will not be considered sufficient. The Council of State stated that, as detailed in a statement, “a reliable estimate of the annual number of accidental seizures” would also need to be made.
The decision is the result of an appeal by three environmental NGOs (Defense of Aquatic Environments, France Nature Environment and Sea Shepherd), which has condemned the deaths of thousands of dolphins in recent years, a phenomenon that has worsened in recent weeks. According to the Council of State, “the death toll from accidental capture attributable to fishing threatens the conservation of dolphins in the Bay of Biscay”, since every year since 2018 it exceeds “the maximum limit that allows to guarantee a favorable conservation status”. according to current estimates.
It also warns that the three considered species (dolphin, large dolphins and mutura) are facing “a serious threat of extinction, at least at the regional level”.
Responding to an explicit request from DG Mare itself, the ICES report, for its part, recommended the establishment of temporary closures, particularly for trawling fishing. After analyzing different scenarios, they argue for another month of shutdown in the first quarter of the year and in the summer with the use of pinger. France goes further.