Jun
18
Fishing activities. (Photo: IEO)
Deep water proposal is not based on scientific data, warns Spain
EUROPEAN UNION
Tuesday, June 18, 2013, 23:50 (GMT + 9)
In Brussels in a public appearance at the Fisheries Committee of the European Parliament (EP), the Director General of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Ignacio Escobar Guerrero, will defend the Spanish position on the proposal to amend the regulations on deep sea resource management.
Spain considers that the proposal from the European Commission (EC) is not based on scientific data, but it restrictively interprets the precautionary approach instead of regulating these fisheries.
From the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Magrama) the “sustainable fishing mode consisting of bottom trawl and gillnet” is defended.
During the meeting held on Tuesday, Escobar Guerrero will ask the EC to clarify on the research presented in this regard, as the Secretary General of Fisheries considers it does not reflect the reality of the various fisheries. In his opinion, it is biased, since only the business interruption for not catching deep-water species is imputed as economic loss when in fact they integrate a mixed fishery and its capture is unavoidable.
The Magrama states that if the EC moves forward its proposal, all the catches of more than 10 per cent of deep-water species would be affected: 60 trawling vessels and 5 gill net ships; over 6 gill net ships of the longline fleet that are under 100 GRT.
Besides, the Northwest Cantabrian trawl fleet (about 100 units), which is largely devoted to the capture of demersal species would be affected, except ‘pair vessels,’ which target the whiting fishery.
The measure would also affect the trawler fleet in the Gulf of Cadiz (about 140 vessels), although they would not be undergoing such a serious situation as the previous ones, Magrama clarified in a press release.
The same situation as the trawler fleet in the Gulf of Cadiz is being experienced by the gillnet fleet (50 ships) and anglerfish net ships (about 35 boats) in the Bay of Biscay and the Northwest Cantabrian.
The Spanish government insists that it is necessary to properly assess the number of the ships involved and to take the appropriate measures “which ensure the units being fished in deep waters and that do not fish for deep-water species are not excluded from their traditional fishing areas so that the proposed regulation is balanced and sustainable.”
For his part, the Secretary General of Marine Affairs of the Xunta de Galicia, Juan Maneiro, claimed “common sense” to the EC in order to ensure the continuity of deep-sea fishing.
According to the Galician officials, if the proposed rule to gradually prohibit bottom trawling and gill net fishing for deep-sea species in the northeast Atlantic, the Galician sector could lose EUR 80 million and the continuity of approximately 2,500 jobs in the community would be threatened.
“This bill that the Commission proposes us may be positive in environmental terms, but it is a threat as to economic and social terms for Galicia,” Maneiro stated.
“Galicia is risking a lot in this project,” the official insisted.
On Monday in Brussels Galicia and Brittany defended the sustainability of deep sea fishing and professional fishermen’s interests in both regions.
Both governments consider it is “disproportionate” to adopt the measures proposed by the EC and claim that the EU executive and the European Parliament measure “the economic and social consequences of a ban on deep sea fishing as a whole when there is evidence that the stocks of the species are increasing,” while the fishing techniques “are becoming more sustainable.”
Related article:
– Galicia and Brittany defend trawling continuity in Brussels
By Analia Murias
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com
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