WRITTEN QUESTION E-4017/00

by Elizabeth Lynne (ELDR) to the Commission

(21 December 2000)

Subject: Longline fishing

As the Commission is no doubt aware, there are concerns about the effect that longlining has on seabirds. It is estimated that, each year, tens of thousands of seabirds are drowned as they become ensnared on longlines. I understand that there are a number of measures that vessels could take to reduce the risk of bird bycatch. Has the Commission taken, or does it intend to take, any action to assess the need to implement these measures?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(7 February 2001)

The Commission has received several enquiries about this issue and it is increasingly aware of possible problems regarding incidental catches of seabirds in longline fisheries. However not every longline fishery requires the adoption of mitigation measures because incidental catch of seabirds does not occur universally.

The Commission, after supporting the technical meetings that helped to define the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) International Plan of Action (IPOA) for reducing incidental catches of seabirds in longline fisheries (FAO-IPOA Seabirds), is currently drafting a Community action plan starting from the information made available by the Member States in response to a questionnaire sent them in August 2000.

Wherever such problems are caused by Community fishermen, the Commission is willing to attempt to find solutions. However, as far as the Commission is aware, and after receiving the first replies to the above-mentioned questionnaire, the incidental catches of seabirds do not constitute a real threat within Community waters. The main problems seem to be caused by non-Community vessels fishing either in international waters or in their own waters. The Community has no direct legal power to control the activities of non-Community vessels in these geographical areas.

The main concerns regard albatrosses and other species, essentially in the Southern Oceans.

To tackle this problem, the Community has already incorporated the following mitigation measures into Community legislation(1)(2), using bird-scaring line with plastic streamers attached; weighting the lines so that they sink faster and pose less risk; prohibiting the discharge of offal at sea, which attracts seabirds to the lines; setting the longlines at night when albatrosses and other seabirds are less likely to be foraging; using only thawed bait.

These measures, which are compulsory for Community fishing companies, have been drawn up by the Council for the Conservation of Antarctic Maríne Living Resources (CCAMLR), which deals with Antarctic waters, and of which the Community is a contracting party.

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 66/98 of 18 December 1997 laying down certain conservation and control measures applicable to fishing activities in the Antarctic and repealing Regulation (EC) No 2113/96 (OJ L 6, 10.1.1998).

(2) Council Regulation (EC) No 2479/98 of 12 November 1998 amending Regulation (EC) No 66/98 laying down certain conservation and control measures applicable to fishing activities in the Antarctic (OJ L 309, 19.11.1998).