The European Commission has invited “each and every citizen” to submit their views on plans for a massive reform of Europe’s ailing fisheries policy.
The Commission warned last month that nothing short of a completely new fisheries management system based on scientific evidence would halt years of dangerously depleted fish stocks and get the struggling fishing industry back on its feet.
Acceptance that the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) has effectively failed revived calls for the industry to be restored to the hands of national and regional authorities.
Now EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg wants as much response as possible during an eight-month consultation on the fishing crisis.
After preliminary talks between EU fisheries ministers in Brussels yesterday, a Commission statement welcomed support from governments for a “Green Paper” setting out the need for CFP overhaul.
Ministers, it said, were committed “to take courageous steps to have a real and meaningful reform of the CFP”.
The statement went on: “The council (of fisheries ministers) had a thorough and honest exchange of views on the Commission’s Green Paper on reform of the CFP.
“Ministers clearly accepted (the need) to further stimulate the debate with direct and indirect stakeholders in their country as well as with the public in general.”
It added: “There is a clear commitment to approach reform with an open mind and to examine all aspects of the CFP.
“The Green Paper launches a period of consultation on CFP reform which lasts until December 31st 2009, which is open to each and every EU citizen and which covers every aspect of the current policy. The Commission is looking forward to receiving what promises to be a vast array of views on the reform.”
Officials have set a deadline of the end of 2012 for CFP reform.
The Commission Green Paper acknowledges the failure of years of annual catch quota cuts in an attempt to preserve dangerously-depleted fish stocks.
It admits that stocks are still in dire straits, with fishing fleets accused of prolonging the agony by exceeding agreed quotas, while governments are blamed for failing to enforce the annual quota limits agreed under the CFP.
The finding is a damning indictment of the CFP, established in 1983 to carve up EU fishing waters between the national fleets.
The report says that 80 per cent of fish stocks in EU waters are still overfished, and about 30 per cent of stocks are “outside safe biological limits, meaning that there is a real risk of collapse of these stocks”.
Catches have fallen to such an extent that Europe now relies on imports for two-thirds of its fish consumption.
The Commission even admits that scientists are unaware of the state of nearly two-thirds of Europe’s fish stocks.
Minster for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Brendan Smith told his EU colleagues that Irish fishermen have felt aggrieved at the share of fish stocks Ireland received when the first CFP was put in place.
He called for new innovative policies which simplify and reduce the administrative burden and he pointed out that the reform must strengthen and support the industry's capacity to maximise employment in coastal communities dependant on fishing.
Mr Smith also raised Ireland’s opposition to the opening up the 12 mile coastal zone and indicated that there was a case to have this increased to the benefit of coastal states.
PA