Anger all round at EU fishing quota ‘fudge’

An agreement to cut EU fishing quotas for 2007-08 has been criticised by fishermen and environmental groups alike.

EU fisheries ministers agreed on Tuesday to reduce the quotas for a number of endangered fish species, including deep-sea sharks, blue ling and orange roughy, despite advice from ICES, the scientific body that assesses deep-sea fish stocks, that fishing should be suspended immediately.

And existing quota levels will be maintained for other at-risk species such as black scabbardfish, alfonsinos, red seabream, forkbeards and roundnose grenadier.

France, along with Spain, Italy, Portugal and Poland, had lobbied hard for maintaining the current quota levels, while the UK and Germany had pressed for even deeper cuts.

Environmental groups have criticised ministers for caving in yet again to pressure from the fishing lobby to leave stocks under real threat.

“EU ministers have agreed a typical EU fudge and gambled that deep-sea stocks will survive another four-to-five years of over-fishing,” said Monica Verbeek, fisheries policy officer at NGO Seas At Risk.

“Despite scientific advice from ICES that orange roughy, blue ling and deep water shark fisheries should be closed immediately, ministers agreed only relatively modest cuts in 2007 and 2008, aiming at a final phase-out only by 2010/11.”

“[Ministers] have fallen into their annual habit of disregarding scientific advice and appeasing those countries that profit most from over-fishing.”

But French fishermen reacted angrily to the deal, demanding increased compensation for the loss of business.

“[The EU] subsidised the modernisation of our fishing fleets two years ago; now it has done a complete u-turn,” one fisherman told Le Figaro.

France is one of the EU’s most persistent offenders when it comes to over-fishing, and is already facing a massive fine of €58m from the European commission for failing to comply with previous quota reductions.

A second fine, also of €58m, could be imposed by the commission on Thursday if it considers that France is still in breach of its obligations.

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