WRITTEN QUESTION E-2899/01

by Sebastiano Musumeci (UEN) to the Commission

(22 October 2001)

Subject: Fishing with drift-nets

Regulation (EC) No 1239/98(1) sanctioned the abolition of drift-net fishing as of 1 January 2002 and the technical document of the STECF of the Commission's Directorate-General for Fisheries laid down the parameters for assessing the impact on whales.

The document set out the technical procedures for limiting the impact, without calling for the abolition of drift-net fishing, and also stressed that any provisions on drift-net fishing concerning the Mediterranean Basin should, in order to be successful, have been extended not only to the Member States of the European Union, but also all the other Mediterranean countries.

Finally, whilst the EU countries have abolished fishing with drift-nets, no similar provision has been adopted by the countries of North Africa, which have, on the contrary, considerably increased the capacity of the fleet practising this kind of fishing.

Any possible environmental benefit has been nullified and the European Union has paradoxically stopped being a producer of swordfish and has started importing it from North African Mediterranean countries.

1. Does the Commission not consider that it should reassess the issue of Italian drift-net fishing in the light of the technical document of the STECF?

2. Does it intend to arrange for a census of Community motorised fishing boats still practising this form of fishing?

3. Does it consider measures should be agreed on among the Member States aimed at rationalising drift-net fishing?

4. Does it intend to adopt urgent measures to standardise the legislation of all the countries in the Mediterranean Basin?

(1) OJ L 171, 17.6.1998, p. 1.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(3 December 2001)

The report of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) to which the Honourable Member refers is a document that already informed the process of elaborating Council Regulation (EC) No 1239/98 of 8 June 1998 amending Regulation (EC) No 894/97 laying down certain technical measures for the conservation of fishery resources(1) banning the use of drift-nets on highly migratory species.

The Commission has not received any sound scientific report either on possible evolution of gear technology or on monitoring of incidental catches of protected species that could indicate a substantial mitigation of the conservation problems for which the Regulation was adopted.

Member States inform regularly the Commission, under the provisions of Regulation No 1239/98, on the number of vessels operating with driftnets targeting a certain number of highly migratory pelagic species; these figures are already made available to the Parliament through a yearly report prepared by the Commission on the enforcement of Community legislation on driftnets.

The prime responsibility for enforcement of Council Regulation No 1239/98 lies with the Member States. The Commission, for its part, will take the necessary steps to verify that all Member States adequately enforce this legislation. In the absence of adequate enforcement, the Commission will avail itself of all the procedures open to it.

On the basis of the information available to the Commission, it cannot confirm or disprove the statement by the Honourable Member regarding the number of non Community vessels operating with driftnets in the Mediterranean. The Commission will do its utmost to strengthen the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean and to support its efforts to achieve sustainable fisheries which minimise adverse impacts on the eco-system in the Mediterranean.

(1) OJ L 171, 17.6.1998.