WRITTEN QUESTION E-0023/01 by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Industrial fishing.
Date: 2001-01-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: North Sea, by-catch, conservation of fish stocks, environmental impact, fishing net, industrial fishing, marine environment

C 235 E/92

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

21.8.2001

(2001/C 235 E/098)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0022/01

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(17 January 2001)

Subject: Fishery markets

There has been little in the way of intellectual debate at the Commission on the question of market reform,
with no attempt to examine in depth issues which are currently of crucial importance to consumers,

such as:

(cid:129) standardisation and classification of all raw materials and by-products,

(cid:129) introduction of a uniform Community-wide labelling system,

(cid:129) lack of uniform quality and health controls.

Bearing in mind the need to address the above questions, when does the Commission plan to finalise the
common organisation of the market?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(27 February 2001)

A major innovation of the reformed common organisation of the markets in fishery and aquaculture
products (1)
improve product
traceability and thereby reduce fraud concerning the origin and nature of
the product sold. The
Commission attaches a great deal of importance to this provision and to its proper implementation.

is the new labelling requirement at the point of retail sale, which will

The relevant article of the common market organisation (Article 4) enters into force on 1 January 2002
and therefore, the Commission will be discussing the implementing regulation with the Member States in
the Management Committee for fisheries products during the course of 2001. It will also be consulting the
industry via the Advisory Committee for fisheries products. The majority of the other Commission
Regulations implementing the common organisation of the market have now been adopted.

In reply to the Honourable Member(cid:146)s specific comments on health controls for fishery products, these are
already organised through Council Directive 91/493/EEC laying down the health conditions for the
production and the placing on the market of fishery products (2). This Directive is based on the former
Article 43 (present Article 37) of the EC Treaty and aims to create a common regime with regard to
sanitary questions in fishery products, whilst ensuring a high level of consumer protection. The Directive
lays down the obligations of the fisheries sector to ensure that fishery products meet specific health
requirements and the obligations of the Member States to ensure that producers and manufacturers
comply with these requirements. The Member States(cid:146) implementation of these requirements are audited by
the Commission.

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 104/2000 of 17 December 1999 (OJ L 17, 21.1.2000).
(2) OJ L 268, 24.9.1991.

(2001/C 235 E/099)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0023/01

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(17 January 2001)

Subject: Industrial fishing

Will the Commission assess the effects that industrial fishing of pelagic species is having on the lamentable
state of demersal species in the North Sea?

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 235 E/93

In particular, has a proper assessment been made of by-catches of demersal species in this area when nets
smaller that 16 millimetres are used for industrial fishing?

Could the extensive catches of pelagic species in the North Sea be connected with problems in the food
chain that may have been caused by the catastrophic situation affecting demersal species?

Will the Commission take measures to ensure proper control over this type of fishing in other areas where
the Community fleet operates?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(2 March 2001)

The main industrial fisheries affecting demersal species in the North Sea are those for Norway pout which
are conducted mainly by Denmark and Norway with nets of mesh size equal to or greater than 16 mm. In
these fisheries, a by-catch predominantly of haddock and whiting is taken. This by-catch consists mainly of
juveniles of the species concerned.

The other major industrial fisheries in the North Sea are targeted on sprats and sandeels. By-catches of
demersal fish by these fisheries is very low.

According to a report of November 2000 of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)
by-catches of whiting have varied since 1987 between 51 000 tonnes and 3 000 tonnes per year. In the
period 1996 to 1999, by-catches have varied between 5 000 tonnes and 3 000 tonnes. For haddock since
1987, by-catches have varied between 11 000 tonnes and 2 000 tonnes per year.

For equity, these quantities should be compared to those of haddock and whiting discarded by those fleets
using nets of 80 or 100 mm mesh size which land their fish for human consumption. Since 1987,
discards of haddock has varied between 80 000 tonnes and 33 000 tonnes while discards of whiting have
varied between 54 000 tonnes and 13 000 tonnes.

There is much discussion on possible effects on the food chain of removal of large quantities of Norway
pout, sandeels and sprats from the North Sea and elsewhere. However, the Commission is unaware of
definitive scientific results which indicate that current catch levels have created deleterious effects. The only
exception to this position concerns an apparent lack of breeding success of a species of seabird off the east
coast of Scotland. In response to this, fisheries for sandeels were closed in the appropriate area of the
North Sea.

The Community already has in place measures to control the activities of vessels conducting industrial
fisheries. These are mainly contained in (EC) No Regulation 850/98 of 30 March 1998 for the
conservation of fishery resources through technical measures for the protection of juveniles of marine
organisms (1) and, in particular, Annexes I and II thereof.

(1) OJ L 125, 27.4.1998.

(2001/C 235 E/100)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0025/01

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Regional fisheries organisations

(17 January 2001)

The Commission is displaying an alarming lack of both human and financial resources, casting doubt on
its ability to act as a negotiator in these international bodies. This has been demonstrated by two recent
episodes, the first of which was the United States embargo on the Community(cid:146)s Pacific fishing fleet,
introduced because the Community had not transposed the ICCAT recommendations on the protection of
dolphins in tuna-fishing. The reason for this failure was the delay by the Commission in submitting the
measures concerned to the Council.