WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1077/96 by Richard HOWITT to the Commission. Fishing issues in Essex and Kent
Date: 1996-05-13
Institutions: European Parliament, HOWITT
Subjects: South East (England), catch quota, common fisheries policy, conservation of fish stocks, fishing area, fishing controls, fishing net, fishing regulations













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91996E1077

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1077/96 by Richard HOWITT to the Commission. Fishing issues in Essex and Kent  


Official Journal C 345 , 15/11/1996 P. 0028 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1077/96 by Richard Howitt (PSE) to the Commission (13 May 1996)Subject: Fishing issues in Essex and KentWhat actions has the Commission taken in Europe to ensure that all Member States observe the ban on the illegal use of 30ml 'blinders', through which smaller fish are continuing to be caught? What steps should be supported in order to ensure more effective monitoring and policing of quota adherence overall?Answer given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission (11 June 1996)It is the responsibility of Member States to control fishing in general and the respect of technical measures in particular.Community legislation has been adopted which facilitates disclosure of the use of blinders through regulation of the minimum mesh sizes in certain fisheries and zones and the legal attachments that could be used. Thus Council Regulation (EEC) No 3094/86 ((Council Regulation (EEC) No 3094/86, 7.10.1986, OJ L 288, 11.10.1986 last amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 3071/95, 22.12.1995, OJ L 329, 30.12.1995. )), as currently amended, incorporates a wide range of technical measures primarily intended for the conservation of fish stocks. Furthermore, Commission Regulation No 3440/84 ((Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3440/84, 6.12.1984, OJ L 318, 7.12.1984 last amended by Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2122/89, 14.7.1989, OJ L 203, 15.7.1989. )), as amended, describes the devices that may be attached to trawls, Danish seines and similar nets.Member States should have the necessary means and sufficient staff to carry out inspections at sea and ashore. The new control Regulation ((Council Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93, 12.10.1993, OJ L 261, 20.10.1993. )) establishes the obligation of cross-checking logbook estimations, landing declarations and sales notes and its full implementation by the Member States will help to achieve more effective monitoring of TACs and quotas. Furthermore, the establishment of a system for the management of fishing effort relating to certain Community fishing areas and resources ((Council Regulation (EC) No 685/95, 27.3.1995, OJ L 71, 31.3.1995. )) (ICES divisions Vb, VI, VII, VIII, IX and X and CECAF areas 34.1.1., 34.1.2. and 34.2.0.) and the system of hailing ((Commission Regulation (EC) No 2945/95, 20.12.1995, OJ L 308, 21.12.1995. )) in and out of different fishing areas will help the detection of some inconsistencies in the registration of the catches by fishing skippers.Council Regulation (EC) No 847/96 of 22 April 1996 introducing additional conditions for year to year management of TACs and quotas ((OJ L 115, 9.5.1996. )) establishes some level of flexibility (+/- 10%) in the uptake of annual quotas by Member States and provides for the reduction of Member States quota in the event that their fishermen exceed national quotas. The Commission continues to monitor catches and up take of quota and does not hesitate to initiate proceedings against Member States which fail to manage their quotas properly. A recent example of this is the decision of the Court of Justice in Case C-52/95 Commission v. France ((OJ C 46, 17.2.1996. )).