Our grandchildren may never taste cod

The European fishing industry, just like over-fished cod, tuna and halibut, would appear to be an endangered species. Ever-more efficient trawlers, subsidised by fat government handouts, are depleting stocks of the very fish that the industry depends on for its survival. So fierce is the determination of EU member states to haul in the biggest catches, the industry risks fishing itself out of existence.

So far, mechanisms put in place by the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) do not seem to be reversing the trend. 90% of stocks of predatory fish, including tuna, swordfish, halibut and cod, have already been fished out. While the issue of depleting stocks is certainly recognised by the EU, conservationists claim that a more radical reform of the CFP has been dodged in the face of opposition from national fisheries industries. Last December's EU deal on total allowable catches, resulting in cuts of 15% for cod, herring and whiting, still leaves fishing quotas 45% above scientific recommendations on the levels needed for sustainable fishing.

Subsidisation is accelerating the trend. According to figures from 2004, the EU subsidises its fishing fleet to the tune of 400 million euro annually. Much

of this goes towards expanding the oversized flotilla - already 40% above capacity - even further. This excess is further exacerbated by the increase in efficiency of modern-day fishing vessels. One such example is Irish super-trawler Atlantic Dawn, the biggest vessel of its kind accounting for a massive one-third of the country's fishing capacity.

Saskia Richartz, EU marine policy adviser at Greenpeace, fears that an already weak CFP may fail to honour commitments made during its major reform in 2002. Signs are that the upcoming regime governing structural funds, the European Fisheries Fund covering 2007-13, will lack the kind of muscle needed to tackle the problem of depleting stocks. Just weeks before a final decision on the new fund, the European Commission announced last month it would allow member states to make independent funding decisions on investment. "Too much leeway is given on investment decisions," says Richartz. "In the [2002] reform, there were some good steps forward in terms of the need to reduce capacity and increase conservation of stocks. Our big concern is that this is a major step back."

Meanwhile, the fisheries industry, struggling with depleted stocks, restrictive quotas and rising fuel prices, is frustrated with what it sees as the European Commission's blunt approach to tackling the problem. Barrie Deas, chief executive of the UK's National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations, believes that legislation is often flawed as a result of lack of consultation with the industry. One such example was the deep water gillnet ban introduced in February. "The legislation was introduced in a hurry," says Deas, "tacked onto the end of the quotas regulation as an annex. The Commission now concedes that vessels catching hake should not have been included."

Industry and conservationists appear to agree that the rushed schedule at the December Fisheries Council, where stakeholders meet to hammer out legislation, is affecting the quality of measures. "Because the Council takes place so late in the year with fisheries needing to re-open in January, there is an urgency to the December meeting. It's a bit like horse-trading. It often has less to do with scientific advice or even original Commission proposals," says Richartz. Deas is of the opinion that the rushed nature of the meeting "polarises positions", making it more difficult to achieve consensus on sustainable solutions.

Regional Advisory Councils, established for all EU waters last year, seem to be a much more productive forum for debate. Deas points out that, working in a less pressured context, industry representatives have generally found it easier to reach agreement with environmentalists on advice that is then passed on to the Commission. "Conservation is in everyone's interest," says Richartz. "Particularly for small-scale companies with lower capacity who have more interest in conserving stocks closer to shore."

With scientists predicting that failure to reverse current trends could lead to the collapse of ocean fisheries within the next 20 years, Europe's fishing industry faces a rocky time ahead.

Article takes a look at the problems of depletion of fish stocks caused by an ever more efficient and expanding European fishing industry and the failure of the EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) to prevent this.
Article is part of a European Voice Special Report, 'EU maritime policy'.

• Primary Source

European Commission: DG Fisheries and Maritime Affairs: Fisheries http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/index_en.htm

European Commission: DG Fisheries and Maritime Affairs: Maritime Affairs: Fact sheets 'Towards a European Union Maritime Policy': Fisheries and aquaculture http://ec.europa.eu/comm/fisheries/maritime/fiche2_en.pdf

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