WRITTEN QUESTION E-2487/02

by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

(6 September 2002)

Subject: Sand eel catch

The Commission is frequently obliged to adopt and propose measures relating to catch possibilities which lack the necessary scientific basis. Our ignorance of the sea exceeds our knowledge of it, especially regarding the interrelations between different maritime species. Thus, for instance, the scarcity of species such as cod or haddock is the result not so much of overfishing as of large-scale catches by the industrial fleet of other species, such as sand eel, which form their basic diet, for purposes of conversion into fishmeal.

Industry sources suggest that the reappearance of haddock in the North Sea fishing-grounds could be caused by the increase in sand eel stocks following the ban on Danish trawlers in the Wee Bankie zone. Nonetheless, the British fisheries research department claims that the increase in haddock stocks is a result of past reductions in the fishing effort.

Has the Commission studied the interrelations between these two species? If so, what conclusions has it reached? Does the Commission not consider that, quite apart from overfishing, the uncontrolled catching of species which are not placed on the market for human consumption, such as sand eel, has the result of puncturing the food chain and reducing the stocks of other species, such as cod and haddock, which are thus deprived of their basic diet?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(16 October 2002)

Current scientific opinion indicates that the decrease of cod and haddock populations (and that of a number of other species) is due to excessive fishing of these species.

However, it has been asserted or postulated by other parties (but not by science) that the decrease may be a result of reduction of food for these species as a result of large-scale fishing of sandeels.

The latter position is difficult to support because firstly it would be reasonable to expect a reduction in growth rate of predators (cod, haddock etc.) and such a reduction has not been observed. Secondly, scientific estimates from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) of the state of sandeel stocks in the North Sea indicates that sandeel are currently not overexploited and are abundant.

The closure of sandeel fishing on the Wee Bankie was motivated not by consideration of the state of stocks of cod or haddock but by concern about the breeding success of certain sea bird populations which depend upon sandeels during the breeding season to feed both themselves and their young following hatching.

It is contentious and probably not justifiable to maintain that either this closure or other reduction in fishing effort underpins the recent increase in the North Sea haddock. The numbers of young haddock produced each year are known to be highly variable. This stock has recently increased as a result of the arrival of a large year-class of haddock in 1999 whereas the immediate prospects for haddock appear to be poor because the following year classes of 2000 and (probably) 2001 are scientifically estimated to be of low or very low abundance. Furthermore, it should not be forgotten that haddock appear throughout the whole of the northern North Sea much of which is not closed to fishing for sandeels.

The Commission is, however, continuing to monitor the impact of industrial fisheries and has recently asked ICES to study the eco-system effects of these fisheries.