MEPs welcome fish conservation plan

A SIGNIFICANT step was taken yesterday towards the introduction of much stricter conservation measures on fishing fleets throughout the EU, which include a tightening of rules on fish sizes and nets.

The European Commission endorsed most recommendations in a European Parliament report presented after months of protracted discussions.

The "technical conservation measures" lay down minimum mesh sizes, minimum landing sizes, a more widespread use of "closed areas" where fishing is banned - such as important spawning grounds - and a greater use of "square mesh panels" that allow for the escape of smaller fish.

Irish MEPs broadly welcomed the measures but criticised the failure of larger EU countries to implement effective conservation as Ireland had done. They will take up to two years to come into effect.

Introducing meaningful technical conservation measures to protect juvenile fish and ensure the future of fishermen was laudable, Mr Pat the Cope Gallagher (FF) said. He supported the thrust of the report, which was the parliament's response to the commission's proposals. It was produced by the British MEP, Mr Gordon Adam (Lab), "at the end of a difficult process trying to get consensus".

Ireland, Britain and Denmark already had introduced effective conservation but larger countries, notably Spain, had failed to play their part, Mr Gallagher said. Irish fishermen, however, had not got adequate protection under the Common Fisheries Policy, which had to be reviewed urgently.

They were entitled to financial assistance towards any changes in nets sizes, and if there was to be "pescaside" similar to setaside for farmers, an adequate conservation dividend was essential.

The Commission was not getting the moral support it deserved from politicians at national and European level, Mr Joe McCartin (FG) said. "Fishing resources of our member states have been pooled for the good reason that they can't be managed separately and the alternative to a common policy is chaos or even violence."

The alternative to control was to let technology loose on the seas and kill off the entire industry, he said. The procedure allowing large factory ships operating off the west coast to process only mackerel above a certain size, which was the most valuable, had to be stopped even if it meant an inspector on every ship. "On these ships, discards would be up to four times, the numbers kept for processing.

Meanwhile, it is understood that the controversial EU move to reduce the Union's fleet by 40 per cent has been watered down considerably.