WRITTEN QUESTION E-2863/01

by Vincenzo Lavarra (PSE) to the Commission

(17 October 2001)

Subject: Drift-net fishing in southern Italy request for a moratorium pending acquisition of scientific data

In response to pressure from third countries, who considered drift-nets to be a cause of environmental damage, Regulation (EC) 1239/98(1), definitively sanctioned the discontinuation of fishing for swordfish with drift-nets (in Italy around 676 vessels were concerned, almost all of them entered in the Southern Italian maritime registers).

The plan for compensation set out in Decision 97/292/EC(2) turned out to be totally unsuitable and had an extremely adverse social and economic impact, in particular on employment. Even those least affected who continue to work in the sector saw their income fall by approximately 30 %. All the others found themselves unemployed, since their low level of education and high average age made any form of reconversion impossible.

On the other hand, non-European fleets using the same fishing method have increased exponentially, so that more than 500 new fishing boats from third countries using driftnets have been counted in the Mediterranean, thereby nullifying the ban imposed by the EC as regards the impact on resources, not least because the non-Community fleets fish without the precise rules to which European fishermen are subject, and also import the fish into Europe.

The aforementioned compensation plan dated back to an earlier national agreement between institutions and economic and social partners envisaging an optional rationalisation and reconversion plan (aimed at reducing the drift-net fleet, whilst containing the economic and social damage for the fishing communities involved) and the launch of scientific research designed to assess the environmental sustainability and economic compatibility of the use of driftnets, as well as monitoring the effects of the rationalisation and reconversion plan, but these measures were never carried out.

In view of all this, and the statements concerning the incomplete and unreliable nature of the scientific data contained in the Green Paper on the common fisheries policy and the fact that the remaining Italian drift-net fleet now consists of only 100 vessels, does the Commission intend to grant a moratorium pending acquisition of the data needed to assess whether there are any valid reasons for definitively abolishing this form of fishing?

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

(2) OJ L 121, 13.5.1997, p. 20.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(14 November 2001)

The Commission is firmly convinced of the need to enforce 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 ressources.

So far, the Commission has not received from Italy any sound scientific report on possible evolution of gear technology or on the monitoring of incidental catches of protected species that could indicate a substantial mitigation of the conservation problems for which the Regulation was adopted. Therefore, in absence of innovative scientific information from Member States, the Commission does not intend to reopen the discussion on this issue.

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. However, it is important to highlight that the Regulation in question does not refer to all drift-nets, but only to those, including the spadare, targeting a certain number of highly migratory pelagic species.

In 2002, the control ashore and at sea of driftnet activity will be a priority in the inspection programme of the Commission. Necessary steps will be taken to verify that the Community legislation banning the use of driftnets on highly migratory species is adequately enforced. If this is not the case, all available appropriate procedures will be applied against the Member States.