A4-0006/96

Resolution on the Commission communication on the biological impact of fisheries (COM(95)0040 - C4-0256/95)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission communication on an evaluation of the biological impact of fisheries (COM(95)0040 - C4-0256/95),

- having regard to its resolution of 6 May 1994 on the interactions between seals and fisheries ((OJ C 205, 25.7.1994, p. 553.)),

- having regard to the public hearing on multi-species resource management organized by the Committee on Fisheries on 27 and 28 January 1995,

- having delegated the power of decision, pursuant to Rule 52 of its Rules of Procedure, to the Committee on Fisheries,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Fisheries and the opinion of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection (A4-0006/96),

A. whereas the development of the Common Fisheries Policy is directly connected with the existence of effective fisheries research,

B. whereas the Commission has limited means at its disposal for promoting and coordinating fisheries research in Europe,

C. whereas scientists cannot agree on the right research approach: the holistic approach, which looks at the ecosystem as a whole, or the specific approach, which looks at individual stocks,

D. whereas the vicious circle of mistrust between scientists and fishermen must be broken; whereas without the confidence of the fishermen in the scientific findings and the resulting conservation measures even the best and most intelligent system of management will prove a failure; whereas, therefore, there is a need for closer cooperation between scientists and fishermen,

E. understanding that fishermen will only accept major annual adjustments in TACs and quotas if the information on which those calculations are based is reliable and credible at local and regional level,

F. whereas the present state of knowledge is inadequate, particularly for less targeted species, and the quality of the data available restricts the efficiency of the methods for assessing the biological impact of fishing; whereas data of better quality is therefore needed,

G. noting that reliable, good quality data regarding fish stocks and other elements of the biomass is essential if the fishing industry is to retain its confidence in the Union's fisheries management systems,

H. whereas this matter has achieved public prominence with what are, to some extent, conflicting interests; having regard to Article 2 of the new regulation on fisheries and aquaculture ((EEC) No. 3760/92) which calls for management of the available and accessible living marine aquatic resources to take account of implications for the marine ecosystem; having regard to Article 130r of the EC Treaty,

I. whereas the Commission is to be congratulated on taking this step towards improved coordination and compatibility of data on the interaction between fishing and the marine ecosystem,

J. whereas fisheries represent the most serious intervention in the marine ecosystem, whereas the most targeted species are overfished and whereas, therefore, priority must be given to further reducing fishing effort,

K. noting that the original decision by the Council to undertake these studies was taken in 1993, and that the conference on which this communication and the relevant report was based took place in May 1994,

L. recognizing the unacceptable and damaging level of discarding that is currently estimated to take place,

1. Accepts the impossibility of financing the scientific community to the extent that it could answer all probable questions in this field;

2. Stresses the need for the widest possible consultation and coordination of research on the interaction of fisheries and the marine ecosystem at all levels within the fisheries sector and beyond, especially within the individual regional producer organizations; calls therefore for the appropriate action to be taken to restore the confidence of fishermen in the work of the scientists;

3. Regrets that, despite the Council's declaration, the report does not give sufficient emphasis to the measurement of discarding, and calls on the Commission to ensure ways of accurately estimating the level of discards by area and species, its biological impact upon the total biomass, and the changes in level of discards caused by annual changes in TACs and quotas;

4. Believes that the Commission must continue to be responsible for the area of the biological impact of fisheries on the marine ecosystem; stresses that the Member States must take seriously their responsibility for collecting basic data in the fisheries sector, since hitherto this has not received adequate funding; the work of the ICES should be utilized in this respect;

5. Calls on the Commission to treat these studies as urgent;

6. Calls on the Commission to set up a working party of scientists to establish a research plan which will indicate the approach for future research, and coordination of existing research, into the interaction between fisheries and the marine ecosystem;

7. Proposes that within this framework particular attention should be paid to improving the quality of basic data used for stocks analysis and for an analysis of the biological impact of fisheries, including species fished commercially;

8. Requests that the Commission bring forward financial proposals in the 1997 preliminary draft budget that will adequately address the need of the sector to be furnished with ongoing data of sufficient quality;

9. Calls on the Commission to utilise the work of the scientific working party and the scientific report and to set up a small group of experts, representatives of the industry and Commission officials, whose remit would be to establish priorities and to draw up a budget; calls on the Commission to report to Parliament on the progress achieved with this initiative;

10. Calls on the Commission to submit to Parliament and the Council proposals which would receive broad support not least in the fisheries sector, and which would help to restore credibility and confidence; instructs its own Committee on Fisheries to play an active role in identifying the priorities, on the basis of forthcoming work by scientists, and to make its contribution; believes a hearing should be held in Parliament to exchange views on priorities;

11. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and Council.