Jun
17
Pierrick Massiot and Juan Maneiro will defend deep water fishing sustainability, posing relevance for their regions. (Photo: StockFile)
Galicia and Brittany defend trawling continuity in Brussels
EUROPEAN UNION
Monday, June 17, 2013, 22:30 (GMT + 9)
The governments of Galicia and Brittany will defend the sustainability of deep sea fishing and professional fishing vessels’ interests in both regions in Brussels on Monday.
The Secretary General of the Marine Affairs of the Xunta de Galicia, Juan Maneiro, and the President of Brittany, Pierrick Massiot will participate in a public hearing prior to the hearing of the Fisheries Committee of the European Parliament (EP) in which the matter will be discussed.
Maneiro and Massiot will present their views on the proposed Regulation of the European Commission (EC) on the capture of deep-water resources.
With information and arguments both Galicia and Brittany will defend the importance of this activity to ensure the balance of the economy of the fisheries sector and of the maritime territories.
Besides, both regions will highlight the current concept of trawl fishing emphasizing its evolution over time. Currently, this fishing mode uses sustainable fishing techniques and is performed in Community waters that have sandy bottoms with mud, so that it does no longer affect vulnerable marine ecosystems, the regional government stated.
The authorities of Galicia and Brittany will express the economic and social consequences of the ban on trawl fishing for both regions. What the EC intends is that the EP considers the proposals from the administrations and from the professionals in the sector from both regions to ensure the sustainability of this activity.
Deepwater species that the EU seeks to protect are the conger, ling and halibut, the newspaper Faro de Vigo reported.
The public hearing will also be attended by the president of the National Association of Shipowners for Cod Fishing (Agarba), Ivan Lopez; and Luis Rodriguez, president of the Association of Smaller Scale Shipowners from Galicia (Asoar-Armega).
For Lopez, the constraint posed by the EC is “disproportionate, lacks scientific support, opposes the criteria of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has been raised without assessing its economic and social consequences.” In his opinion, it is the “fruit of the whim of some environmental organizations with which the Commissioner [of Fisheries] Damanaki is connected.”
Agarba President calls for setting the appropriate fisheries management measures to protect vulnerable ecosystems rather than a ban proposed by the European executive.
“While Community catches of these species are 24 per cent of the total caught by non-EU fleets, such as the Norwegian one or the Icelandic one, it would be possible to continue capturing it, obviously to later sell 80 per cent of the caught fish in the European Union (EU) and without tariffs. It’s an absurdity,” he stressed.
Related articles:
– Galician shipowners alarmed by discard ban
– Parliamentary committee supports responsible deep sea fisheries management
By Analia Murias
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com
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