The collapse of cod fishing was yesterday blamed on EU governments and fishermen themselves by a bitter European Commission.
Fisheries Commissioner Franz Fischler told a press conference in Brussels that “I don’t want to say ‘I told you so’. But it is galling, after repeatedly warning of the dire consequences of inaction, to see our worst fears realised.”
“It was tempting to say ‘forget it’ about future cod fishing,” he added. “But the Commission had a moral responsibility to protect fishermen and new programmes of financial support are on the way.”
He warned that the almost complete shutdown of all key fishing sectors for cod, haddock and whiting was virtually inevitable and that the fishing situation had never been worse.
Mr Fischler was responding to the worst predictions yet about the fate of European fish stocks unless all key cod fisheries are closed.
The advice comes from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea(ICES) and it is now almost certain to be followed when the Commission proposes catch allowances for next year.
“This is going to have a tremendous impact on fishing in Scotland and Ireland,” warned Mr Fischler.
And there is growing concern about the fishing industries of Denmark, Sweden, Germany and Belgium.
Mr Fischler blamed the failure of member states to act effectively on previous Commission conservation advice and on continued over-fishing by trawlermen despite repeated warnings about the long term consequences.
“It is clear that in the absence of effective conservation and control measures, a number of fish stocks, in particular cod, are being persistently overfished. Previous data were distorted by mis-reporting of catches and illegal landings. We now have to recognise that the state of these stocks has never been worse,” he said.
“Our own scientific and economic committee is currently evaluating the ICES advice and will give its own opinion on November 11,” added Mr Fischler.
“Unless it says anything different, which is very unlikely, I can see no other solution in the short term than to propose for 2003 a zero catch for cod, haddock and whiting and substantial reductions for plaice…..”
If the commission follows the scientific advice to the letter it will recommend closing all fisheries catching cod as a target species or as a by-catch in the Eastern Channel, Skagerrak, North Sea, Irish Sea and West of Scotland.
“Can anyone still say that the Commission’s proposed recovery plan for cod, issued almost a year ago and still not adopted, goes too far? Can anyone still argue against a profound reform of the Common Fisheries Policy? I think not.” Mr Fischler said.
And added, “Political inaction will not save our fish stocks or our fishing industry. What is required is courage and vision.”
But Mr Fischler tried to reassure the fishing community when he said, “The Commission is determined not to leave the fishermen affected by potential hardship to cope on their own.”
This is the first time Brussels has considered the total shutdown of EU fisheries in an attempt to revive the dwindling stocks.
Conservative Euro MP Neil Parish said the blame for the current plight of fish stocks rested with the Common Fisheries Policy itself – and he warned against a devastating total halt to cod fishing next year.
“It is rather rich of Commissioner Fischler to blame EU governments for the problem. The CFP has been far too slow to reform and in fact is the root cause of many of fishing’s current woes,” he said.
“A 100% cut is completely unacceptable and will spell the ruination of fishing in the North and Irish Seas, not to mention the loss of thousands of jobs in the Fishing Industry.”
