UK fish aims only partly achieved - NFFO
Published: 21 December, 2009
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THE National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations has said that Britain's priorities were only partially achieved in this year's round of EU fish quota talks.
A spokesman added: "As always, much detail will emerge from the negotiations in coming weeks and days.
"This year’s quota negotiations were unusual in two respects. Firstly, the breakdown of the EU Norway negotiations in December meant that only interim TACs could be set for North Sea shared stocks like cod, haddock, whiting, saithe and plaice, pending the resumption of talks and presumable agreement with Norway in the New Year.
"Secondly, the elephant in the sitting room is the major reduction in days at sea for vessels in the cod recovery zone; this was not even discussed at the Council because Ministers last year signed up to a three year cod recovery plan with automatic reductions linked to biomass levels.
The NFFO said the cut in the Irish Sea nephrops (prawns) quota was reduced from 30 per cent to 9 per cent with the likelihood that this will be contained to six per cent through swaps with the Irish Republic.
The UK devoted a great deal of its negotiating capital to minimizing the impact of this reduction, not least because CCES science has confirmed that the Irish Sea nephrops stocks were fished sustainably.
The NFFO added: "Although much remains to be discussed, there may be scope in the catch quota scheme agreed in Brussels for whiting catches in the North Sea to be landed rather than discarded as at present. The crucial questions will be whether the additional quota will be sufficient to encourage vessels to participate in the scheme and how participants will document their activity. The reduction in “use it or lose it” TACs like turbot, lemon sole and witch was limited ."
The official EU quotas figures are:-
Reductions: haddock (-25% in W Scotland); sole (-20% in Eastern Channel); cod (up to -35%, except for W Scotland and Celtic Sea); Norway lobster (-20%); southern anglerfish (-15%); whiting (-10% in W Scotland and Irish Sea)
Increases: northern hake (+7%); plaice (up to +14%); megrim (+5% in North Sea and W Scotland); herring (+72% in Celtic Sea); anglerfish (+15% in Bay of Biscay
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