Clear rules on prohibited fishing gear and more flexibility for EU fishermen | WPN World People News

● MEPs want to limit unwanted catches and reduce impact on the environment

● Restrictions on the use of new fishing methods, such as electric pulse trawling

● pecific regional rules to be adapted for each sea basin to support fishermen

Common EU rules on how, where and when one can fish in the EU, including prohibited fishing methods and species, were backed by MEPs.

The Fisheries Committee approved draft laws on Tuesday to limit unwanted catches, especially of juvenile fish..

Currently there are more than 30 different EU regulations laying down technical measures for fisheries, which has proved highly complex and arguably inefficient. MEPs agreed to cut red tape to improve compliance.

The new regulation would introduce common measures on fishing gear, methods and allowed species for all EU waters, whilst at the same time allowing for regional, tailor-made measures to be adopted.

EU-wide prohibitions

The EU-wide rules designed progressively to reduce juvenile catches would include, inter alia:

● prohibited fishing gear and methods, i.e. toxic substances and explosives;

● general restrictions on the use of towed gear and static nets a list of fish and shellfish species fishing for which is banned restrictions on catches of marine mammals, seabirds and marine reptiles, special provisions to protect sensitive habitats, and

● a ban on practices such as high-grading (discarding low-priced fish even though they should legally be landed) in order to reduce discarding.

Innovative fishing methods

MEPs want the STECF (Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries) to assess innovative fishing gear, including electrical “pulse trawls” which are used to drive fish up out of the seabed and into the net. This assessment should cover trial periods of at least four years, they add. Trial use would be restricted to no more than 5% of existing vessels in that métier. Use of such gear would be permitted on a commercial scale only if the assessment shows that it would not lead to “direct or cumulative negative impacts” on the marine environment.

Regional measures and flexibility for EU fisheries

Regional measures that deviate from the baselines would be introduced for the seven EU sea basins: North Sea, North Western Waters, South Western Waters, Baltic Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and waters fished by EU boats in the Indian Ocean and West Atlantic.

These measures would cover inter alia minimum conservation reference sizes, and closed or restricted areas. Member states and the Commission would have 18 months from the entry into force of the regulation to regional rules on mesh sizes.

To grant enough flexibility to EU fishermen and support their work, it would be possible to deviate from these regional rules. This could be done either via a regional fisheries multiannual plan or “delegated acts” by the EU Commission. Member states could submit joint recommendations to this end, and MEPs ask them to “base their recommendations on the best available scientific advice”.

Source: European Parliament