State Secretary Kloos: Ambitious Reform of Fisheries Policy necessary
On the occasion of today’s meeting of the Fisheries Council in Luxembourg which focused on issues regarding the further development of the Fisheries Policy, Dr. Robert Kloos, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture said: "In order to ensure that our valuable fish stocks are conserved and used sustainably, we need an ambitious reform of the Common Fisheries Policy which is based on the sustainability principle and which adopts the ecosystem approach and the precautionary approach."
Source: Vasina Nazarenko, Fotolia.com
Following an intensive consultation procedure with economic operators and conservation groups and the consultations during the informal meeting of EU Fisheries Minister in Vigo/Spain in early May 2010, the Council today discussed concrete reform options in what was an intensive exchange of views. "Multi-annual management and recovery plans are key elements of modern fisheries management. Unwanted by-catches must be avoided and the protection of juvenile fish improved", Dr. Kloos said. This requires efficient controls and dissuasive sanctions to ensure that the respective fleets comply with the catch quotas they have been allocated.
Moreover, State Secretary Kloos made it clear in the discussion that notwithstanding the need for reform, the European fisheries sector needed a reliable economic environment. He said that this included the national quota system, the allocation of the total allowable catches according to the principle of relative stability, and fisheries agreements with third countries. "These basic pillars are best-suited for ensuring that the Member States maintain their joint responsibility for sustainable fishery and that coastal fishing has reliable prospects for the future", Kloos said.
Moreover, France, Poland and Germany also agreed on important key elements on the further development of the Common Fisheries Policy; they introduced these elements into the Council consultations in the form of a joint declaration. "We want to continue to cooperate closely in the future in order to actively participate in the discussion on the future alignment of the Common Fisheries Policy and in order to provide new impetus", Dr. Kloos concluded.
During the intensive exchange of views in the Council, the Member States emphasised that together with the EU Commission, they want to push forward the Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy over the coming years in a constructive manner.
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