MEPs should back fishing compromise

On 10th December, Members of the European Parliament will vote on draft legislation on deep-sea fishing in the North-East Atlantic. Their decision can pave the way for a sustainable and effective European fisheries policy which is managed by its best advocates and those that depend most upon it – Europe’s fishermen.

This vote by the Parliament’s full Plenary chamber should confirm the months of hard, fruitful, collaborative work that has been carried out by the expert MEPs on the Fisheries (PECH) Committee and a wide range of stakeholders.

At a time when some extreme voices in the debate are seeking to tear apart a solid compromise, it is worth recalling that not one single member of the Fisheries Committee rejected the Report. This shows the level of consensus that was built over hard months of negotiation. Is it really wise to undermine this work and respond to sensationalism and political scaremongering

Scientists, politicians, professionals and civil society representatives have all contributed to this compromise agreement. Of course the more extreme voices remain unsatisfied when such a balancing act takes place. However, this doesn’t mean that we must bow to them when they aggressively raise their voices and cry foul.

The European fisheries industry openly acknowledges that it is recovering from the excesses of the 1980s and the 1990s, when resources were poorly managed. It has invested over the past ten years in activities and technology to become a sustainable and responsible industry, acting to create a future balance which cares for the ecosystem they depend on and still allows a careful harvesting of this valuable and natural European food source at a time of global food security challenges. Next week, MEPs must confirm the appropriate regulatory framework and ensure sustainable fishing can be a reality by backing the PECH Committee Report in its entirety.

The progress witnessed over the past ten years in terms of the number of species that have reached their Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) clearly shows that proper management of the most vulnerable species and ecosystems can deliver positive effects in the deep seas. Technological innovations and close cooperation between professionals and scientific institutions are improving the selectivity of fishing equipment and reducing by-catches and discards. The industry has reduced significantly the number of areas where it fishes to ensure stock replenishment.

The industry acknowledges that this progress cannot be taken for granted and scientific efforts must continue to monitor the ecosystem. This is why our scientific partners are participating in the European Commission’s DEEPFISHMAN research project, and back the four-year review clause which the PECH Committee Report introduces. This approach allows a full scientific examination of the stocks and broader ecosystem in a long-term approach which identifies the impact of sustainability measures introduced by the industry. It avoids rash measures but at the same time does not definitively reject the idea that a freeze or ban may be appropriate in the future if our current efforts are not fruitful. The fishing industry isn’t asking for a free pass, it is asking for a scientific approach to law-making which doesn’t unfairly penalize us in response to some hysterical arguments.

The future of Europe’s coastal communities as well as its marine ecosystems is at stake, with men and women who have worked for generations in the industry deeply concerned about the results of next week’s vote. The oceans are their subsistence and their passion, and so naturally they want to see them protected. In Spain, France, Portugal, the UK, Netherlands and Ireland, thousands of livelihoods depend on next week’s vote.

Blue Fish, the European civil society association promoting responsible and sustainable fisheries, calls upon MEPs to back the PECH Report as it was sent to Plenary, and promises to ensure the continued engagement of the fishing community to make sustainable fishing our number one priority.

Olivier Le Nézet is president of Blue Fish and president of the Morbihan Committee of Maritime Fisheries and Marine Aquaculture in France.
Javier Touza Touza is president of the Ship-owners Cooperative of Vigo, Spain
Mike Park is chief executive of the Scottish Whitefish Producers Association.

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