WRITTEN QUESTION No. 123/98 by Esko SEPPÄNEN to the Commission. Ban on drift net fishing in the Baltic Sea
Date: 1998-01-30
Institutions: European Parliament, SEPPAENEN
Subjects: Baltic Sea, authorised catch, catch by species, fishing net, fishing rights, protected species, protection of animal life, sea fish, sea fishing

C 223/118

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

17. 7. 98

A clear example of the Commission(cid:146)s support is the aid assigned to measure 2.2.3 under the European Regional
Development Fund (ERDF) programme for Galicia 1994-99, which will provide the (cid:145)Consorcio Santiago(cid:146) with
funding amounting to ECU 31.96 million, out of a total planned investment of ECU 44.09 million. The Consorcio
has  been  established  by  national,  regional  and  local  authorities  involved  in  promoting  and  coordinating  the
activities and management necessary to prepare the city of Santiago de Compostela for the Santiago Year (1999)
and its shared title of Cultural Capital of Europe in the year 2000.

The  activities  cofinanced  by  the  ERDF  include  improvement  of  the  urban  road  system,  tourist  and  sports
facilities, renovation of the historic centre, restoration of monuments and facades, environmental measures for
the rivers Sar and Sarela and for Monte Pedroso, as well as publications of a scientific and cultural nature.

In future, projects to preserve and protect the cultural heritage that qualify as (cid:145)European heritage laboratories(cid:146)
will have to be submitted by the Member States and form the subject of specific applications to the Commission
under the Raphael programme.

(98/C 223/151)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0123/98

by Esko Seppa¤nen (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(30 January 1998)

Subject: Ban on drift net fishing in the Baltic Sea

Naturally occurring salmon is an endangered species in the Baltic Sea area. National measures to protect it are
not enough. Some 70% of the Baltic salmon catch is taken from the areas in which the salmon feed, in the main
Baltic basin where the principal method of fishing is with driftnets.

Driftnet fishing is an indiscriminate method, which traps indigenous as well as cultivated salmon. As a result of
the low level of indigenous salmon stocks (only every 10th or 20th salmon is of the indigenous variety), driftnet
fishing constitutes a long-term structural threat which may at any moment vitiate any further efforts to boost
indigenous salmon stocks.

Does the EU have plans to ban fishing with driftnets in the Baltic Sea as elsewhere?

Answer given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission

(13 March 1998)

The Commission shares the concern of the Honourable Member for the wild salmon stocks in the Baltic Sea area.
While there are indications of improvement, the wild stocks continue to need special protection measures and, on
the initiative of the Community, a (cid:145)salmon action plan 1997-2010(cid:146) was adopted by the International Baltic sea
fisheries commission in February 1997. The plan offers new possibilities, but in order to meet the objective of
achieving a natural production of at least 50% of the potential capacity of wild salmon rivers by the year 2010, all
fisheries need to be considered.

Concerning  the  issue  of  driftnet  fishing  by  Community  vessels,  the  Commission(cid:146)s  proposal  of  April  1994
included prohibition of the use of drift-nets in the Baltic Sea subject to a transitional phase. The proposal has
however not yet been adopted as a qualified majority could not be established in the Fisheries Council.

The  proposal  is  still  on  the  table  and  the  Commission  is  appreciative  of  the  efforts  by  the  United  Kingdom
Presidency to establish a compromise solution that will be acceptable to all. The Commission will participate in
the discussions in a constructive manner and will continue its effort regarding Community driftnet fishing in the
Baltic Sea.