Friday, 2nd December 2011
Good and bad in new scheme for funding fisheries
A new system of support for fishing - to replace the European Fisheries Fund - contains good and bad news, said Struan Stevenson, Conservative fisheries spokesman in the European Parliament said today.
The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund is intended to offer more-efficient and simpler to access for potential beneficiaries, including governments, enterprises, fishermen and coastal communities. It aims to support sustainable growth - for natural resources and for local communities.
But Mr Stevenson, MEP for Scotland, said the overall funding pot of €6 billion was insufficient.
He explained: "That is only €6 billion for all of the EU maritime economy, of which fisheries is only a part. So compared to the €50 billion spent on Common Agricultural Policy that is not very much."
He pointed to several welcome measures in the package, including more focus to be put on aquaculture, and said: "We need to invest more in research, development and innovation in this industry, as Europe is only 40 per cent self-sufficient in fish and we have to import the other 60 per cent. This means there is a fantastic opportunity to expand EU fish farming if we are prepared to provide the necessary financial support."
He also welcomed the greening aspects of the EMFF and proposed investment aimed at better scientific input to fisheries and closer co-operation between scientists and fishermen. He said: "Sustainable fisheries and the ecosystem approach are vital for healthy seas, healthy fish stocks and healthy fishing communities.
But one controversial item was a decision to end grants for decommissioning and to rely on the market to sort out fleet overcapacity in future: "The system they wish to implement to achieve this is called Transferable Fisheries Concessions - which the Common Fisheries Reform regulation proposes may be traded between Member States.
"This could lead to the wealthiest Spanish fishing companies buying up all the UK quota, and then landing their catch in Vigo rather than ports such as Peterhead and Fraserburgh. Such an outcome would devastate our fleet and our fragile fishing communities and will be vigorously opposed.
Note to editors
The European Commission is today adopting a proposal for a new, single instrument to support the EU's maritime affairs and fisheries policies over the period 2014-2020. The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). The new fund will replace the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) and a number of other instruments.
According to the Commission, the EMFF proposal completes the Common Fisheries Policy reform package (adopted by the Commission on July 13) and reflects the key sustainability objectives of the reform. It focuses on facilitating and incentivising the transition to sustainable fishing and on giving a push to the development of sustainable and competitive EU aquaculture. It also aims to provide targeted support to local communities depending on fishing.
The announcement will be made via a press release on the Commission website at noon today:
http://europa.eu/press_room/index_en.htm
