Speaking points on December Fisheries Council

Fisheries Council press conference
Brussels, 19 December 2008

I'm delighted that Council has been able to reach an agreement on fishing possibilities for 2009 that respects the principles which the Commission followed in making its proposal.

Regarding TACs for specific stocks, I would like to highlight the following decisions:

For all stocks under long-term management plans, Council agreed TACs and levels of fishing effort which are in line with those plans. This means a 25% reduction in TACs for most cod stocks. A 30% increase for North Sea cod has already been agreed with Norway and we can apply the same increase in the Eastern Channel. Scientific advice shows that the recovery plan is beginning to work. The revised cod recovery plan agreed last month, and adopted as an A point during this Council, will help us to achieve this aim.
For the whitefish fishery west of Scotland, where we had initially proposed a closure of fishing for cod, haddock and whiting on the basis of zero catch advice: we have agreed on a comprehensive package of measures to radically reduce discarding in other fisheries, in particular nephrops, which are responsible for mortality on haddock and whiting. Against these measures, the Commission felt able to agree to keep the directed fishery open. However, we have reduced the TACs by 25% for cod, and 42% for haddock and 25% for whiting. We have also enlarged the mesh size. The composition of catches should contain a maximum of 10% cod + haddock + whiting, in the nephrops fishery and 30% in other fisheries. We have a commitment from Council that appropriate observer schemes will be established to ensure these provisions can be properly monitored.

The Commission has also declared its intention to propose a multi-annual plan for west of Scotland haddock. This package should have a real impact on the fishing mortality on these stocks.

For West of Scotland herring, we have agreed a TAC of 21 760 tonnes, or a 20% reduction, rather than the 52% originally proposed. This TAC is in line with the multi-annual plan that has just been agreed.
On porbeagle we agreed a 25% reduction in TAC and a new maximum landing size of 210 cm (to protect mature females). The Commission had originally wanted a zero TAC. This year's measures should be a first step, and we intend to table new measures for these fisheries later in 2009.
Similarly, on spurdog, we agreed to a 50% reduction in TAC and a maximum landing size of 100 cm. the TAC will be further reduced to zero in 2010, with a minimum by-catch allowance. The Commission remains committed to putting in place proper protection measures for all species of sharks in EU waters. We will be returning to this issue following the adoption of the EU Shark Action Plan early in 2009.
Meanwhile, the anchovy fishery in the Bay of Biscay will once again remain closed. There are no signs yet that this stock is recovering, but we will of course review the situation in the spring.
We have also introduced a substantial new package of technical measures to protect not only North Sea cod, but all demersal species subject to quota in this area. These include cod selectivity obligations relating to quota uptake at Member State level, a high-grading ban for all species, and legally-enforceable real-time closures. Together, these should make a substantial difference to fishing mortality in the North Sea.

I believe that the result of this Council is one that we can all be satisfied with. The EU has shown that it is serious about respecting its long-term commitments, and living up to its international responsibilities. The Commission will continue to work for sustainable fisheries in our own waters, and today's decision is a further step along that road. I look forward to continuing this work in 2009, as we start a thorough review of the Common Fisheries Policy, with a view to the need for another Reform in 2012."

For more information

Table: TACs and Quotas 2009 (Fisheries Council December 2008): http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/press_corner/press_releases/2008/com08_97_table_en.pdf