newscat: Blog

Staying Up All Night to Get Quota

The Our Fish team is in Brussels, where EU fisheries ministers are gathering to decide on fishing levels for over 120 species from the North Sea and Atlantic. In previous years, quotas have been set far higher than is recommended by fisheries scientists.

On Wednesday morning, when minister stumble, bleary-eyed, out of all night negotiations, will they have chose the path of sustainability, or continued down the road of destructive overfishing? Our Fish Eye is here to find out – keep checking this page, where we will be adding live video and news updates and trying to find out just what goes on behind the closed doors of the EU fisheries council.

Staying Up All Night to Get Quota

The Our Fish team is in Brussels, where EU fisheries ministers are gathering to decide on fishing levels for over 120 species from the North Sea and Atlantic. In previous years, quotas have been set far higher than is recommended by fisheries scientists.

On Wednesday morning, when minister stumble, bleary-eyed, out of all night negotiations, will they have chose the path of sustainability, or continued down the road of destructive overfishing? Our Fish Eye is here to find out – keep checking this page, where we will be adding live video and news updates and trying to find out just what goes on behind the closed doors of the EU fisheries council.

 

The dire state of Mediterranean fisheries has been chronicled by innumerable researchers for many years. It is now reaching a tipping point, with almost half of its sharks and rays threatened with extinction, 96 per cent of fish stocks overfished, while the number of top predators have declined by over 40 per cent [1,2,3]. While North Atlantic fisheries have been slowly but surely improving – thanks to progressive implementation of the  Common Fisheries Policy – the Mediterranean seems doomed to an ever spiralling downward trend [4]. In the last 12 years, Mediterranean fish stocks have decreased by 20% – with some close to collapse, while Atlantic have increased by 35%.

But is the Med situation really due to complex social and economic variables and the stance of non-EU countries, as is often suggested by some in the industry and EU governments? A new paper by scientists suggest that if EU Governments would just start listening to scientific advice, and start setting and controlling sustainable catch limits for major fish stocks, we could turn the fate of these ancient fishing grounds around [5].

The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) binds EU countries to restoring and maintaining populations of fish stocks above levels which can produce the maximum sustainable yield – the highest rate of ongoing exploitation without affecting reproduction – by 2015, or 2020 at the latest [6]. This law was reformed after a decade of European overfishing, in order to halt the decline in fish stocks, fishing jobs, and food security, and to ensure long-term environmental, social and economic sustainability.

Three years have passed since the reformed CFP came into force, and yet the Mediterranean EU fisheries for which we have scientific data (still only a fraction of the whole), continue to be fished above their annual sustainable rates. Rather than improving towards the required sustainable levels by 2020, their populations are deteriorating. In fact, fishing rates for the main demersal and small pelagic stocks of the Mediterranean Sea that are exploited solely or mostly by European fleets, are around three times higher than the sustainable level, and have been this way for more than ten years [7]. Why is the reformed CFP effective in improving Atlantic fish stocks (albeit slower than the CFP requires), but not the Mediterranean?

One of the most outstanding differences between these two situations is the use of Total Allowable Catch (TAC) fishing limits in the Atlantic, which are slowly being set closer to scientific advice, whereas the Mediterranean is managed mostly by effort control (days at sea, gear restrictions etc) and even where effort is decreased, catches are still consistently, substantially above scientific advice [8].

In the one fishery of the Mediterranean where science-based Total Allowable Catches have been enforced –  Atlantic Bluefin Tuna – the fish stocks are undergoing significant recovery to healthier levels [9]. This management change only came about after massive international efforts to save this incredibly valuable fishery from collapse. Industry opposition to TACS in other Mediterranean fisheries has been resolute, although Swordfish, another highly valuable species on the verge of collapse, was finally given a TAC beginning in 2017 [10].

The CFP is European law, and right now EU member states are blatantly refusing to follow this law in the Mediterranean – the fishing industry is refusing to accept a change in how the fisheries are managed,  even if it is in its long term interests. Whilst a range of approaches are urgently needed to bring this ancient sea back from the edge of ecological collapse [11], a TAC system based on precautionary, scientific advice is a proven strategy for sustainably managing fisheries. EU governments must start delivering on their obligations to implement the CFP and pursue a TAC system in the main Mediterranean fisheries as a matter of priority.

Rebecca Hubbard is the Campaign Manager at Our Fish

_________________________________________________________

Notes:

[1] Dulvy, N.K., Allen, D.J., Ralph, G.M. and Walls, R.H.L. (2016). The conservation status of Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras in the Mediterranean Sea [Brochure]. IUCN, Malaga, Spain.

[2] Oceana (2016). Mediterranean Sea, A key EU fishing region in a bleak state of overfishing. February 2016.

[3] Piroddi, C et al (2017), Historical changes of the Mediterranean ecosystem: modelling the role and impact of primary productivity and fisheries changes over time. Scientific Reports 7, Article number: 44491 (2017). doi:10.1038/srep44491

[4] Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STWhat ECF) – Monitoring the performance of the Common Fisheries Policy (STECF-17-04). Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg

[5] Massimiliano Cardinale and Giuseppe Scarcella (2017), Mediterranean Sea: A Failure of the European Fisheries Management System. Front. Mar. Sci., 16 March 2017.

[6] Regulation (EU) no 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Article 2.2

[7] Massimiliano Cardinale and Giuseppe Scarcella (2017), Mediterranean Sea: A Failure of the European Fisheries Management System. Front. Mar. Sci., 16 March 2017.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Coll M, Piroddi C, Steenbeek J, Kaschner K, Ben Rais Lasram F, et al. (2010) The Biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea: Estimates, Patterns, and Threats. PLoS ONE 5(8): e11842. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0011842

[10] http://oceana.org/press-center/press-releases/international-community-takes-first-step-depleted-mediterranean

[11] http://our.fish/en/projects/mediterranean-overfishing/

 

Within Europe’s most degraded sea, the Mediterranean, lies the Adriatic, and at the centre of the Adriatic Sea lies the Jabuka, or Pomo Pit – a place of superlatives for marine life and fisheries. But the survival of its extraordinary environmental and economic values is on a knife-edge as the EU Commission considers whether to advocate for its protection as a Fisheries Restricted Area closed to bottom trawling.

Just four months ago EU Commissioner Vella unveiled the MedFish4Ever Declaration by the EU and Mediterranean countries – declaring it a historic agreement that will recover Mediterranean fisheries and secure a sustainable future for them.

Will Commissioner Vella and the EU Commission start walking the talk of MedFish4Ever and deliver some real protection for Med fisheries by protecting the Jabuka/Pomo Pit from one of the most destructive fishing practices??

A unique marine site, the Middle Adriatic Pit, also known as the Jabuka or Pomo Pit, is host to the most important Adriatic nurseries for the dangerously overfished European Hake and Norway Lobster (langoustine, or Nephrops norvegicus), among others. These economically valuable fish stocks are in desperate need of relief from intensive overfishing in order to restore their numbers. Vulnerable cetaceans and sea turtles also depend on the area, and it is home to a number of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems – some of our most special and sensitive marine ecosystems.

The Scientific Advisory Committee to the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean has already endorsed a Fisheries Restricted Area proposal for the Jabuka/Pomo Pit closed to trawling. It’s all lined up.

Commissioner Vella and the EU Commission are now in a unique position – they can begin to drive the permanent protection of this valuable place and marine life, if they propose a strong, science-based, Fisheries Restricted Area to the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean in October that matches the rhetoric of the MedFish4Ever Declaration.

Or they can give in to the demands of the Italian trawl fishing industry and allow the most destructive type of demersal fisheries to continue, rendering the Fisheries Restricted Area meaningless and delegating MedFish4Ever to history as just another piece of paper.

Commissioner Vella, are you willing to do what it takes to get everyone swimming in the right direction, so that we can truly have MedFish4Ever?

21 NGOs signed and sent the following letter to Commissioner Vella on 31 July 2017, urging him to ensure that an EU proposal for a Fisheries Restricted Area in the Jabuka/Pomo Pit delivers the protection guaranteed by the MedFish4Ever Declaration.

Rebecca Hubbard
Campaigner Manager, Our Fish

Letter to Commissioner Vella:

Mr Karmenu Vella                                                                                         July 31^st, 2017

Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries

European Commission 200, Rue de la Loi, B-1049 Brussels

Subject: Urgent call for a Fisheries Restricted Area in the Jabuka/Pomo Pit closed to demersal fisheries.

Dear Commissioner Vella,

the Jabuka/Pomo Pit, in the central Adriatic Sea, is a site of unique productivity due to the physical processes influencing the dynamics of water circulation and nutrient delivery to this area. In particular, the Pit hosts the most important Adriatic nurseries for European hake, Norway lobster and others valuable species, such as horned octopus and monkfish, making it a critical area for the recovery and sustainability of these stocks and the fisheries that depend on them. The Jabuka/Pomo Pit is also a key area for vulnerable species of cetaceans and sea turtles and a suite of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs).

Last May the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), endorsed a proposal for the establishment of a Fisheries Restricted Area (FRA) in the Jabuka/Pomo Pit, with a core area closed to demersal fisheries and a surrounding buffer area with limited and monitored fishing [1].

The proposed  FRA covers the waters closed to trawling through a bilateral agreement between Italy and Croatia in 2015, which took into account the advice of AdriaMed scientists. The Pit was then re-opened to trawling in 2016 due to pressure from the Italian fishing sector, depriving the area and its nursery and spawning grounds from the much needed protection. Recently, following the growing support for a FRA in the Jabuka/Pomo Pit, Croatia and Italy agreed to reintroduce a fishing closure from the September 1^st 2017. Because of their critical and irreplaceable importance to the Adriatic broader marine ecosystems and ecosystem services, the Pit Essential Fish Habitats deserve lasting conservation measures to ensure that national political shifts do not reverse established protection, as it was the case in 2016.

We, the undersigned organizations and groups, call on you to propose the establishment of a Jabuka/Pomo Pit FRA closed to demersal and recreational fisheries at the next GFCM Conference (Montenegro, 16-20 October 2017).

A proposal by the EU following scientific advice, would be fully consistent with the CFP. A FRA in the Jabuka/Pomo Pit would also create a level playing field in the Adriatic by extending the current fishing ban introduced in area by Croatia, to other fleets in the region. Based on scientific information available to date, anything short of a FRA closing the Pit to demersal fisheries is unlikely to be effective in rebuilding Adriatic depleted stocks and would fell short of the MedFish4Ever Declaration objective to recover fisheries in the region.

We therefore strongly urge you to promote a FRA in the Jabuka/Pomo Pit that:

• Introduces a ban on demersal fisheries including towed nets, bottom set nets, bottom and mid-water longlines and recreational fishing.
• Defines the waters closed to demersal and recreational fishing according to the proposed FRA core area endorsed by the SAC in May 2017.
• Includes a buffer area where fishing activities will be restricted and only allowed to authorized fishing vessels.
• Provides mechanisms for monitoring the status of the EFHs and VMEs in the area.
• Strengthen MCS measures to ensure full compliance.

Yours faithfully,

20000 Milja– 20.000 Leagues Marine Explorers Society.

Adriatic Recovery Project

AIDAP

Archipelagos Institute of Marine Marine Conservation

BIOM

CASA – Clean Adriatic Sea Alliance

Fundaciò ENT

Greenpeace

Legambiente

Marevivo

MEDASSET – Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles

MedCEM – Mediterranean Center for Environment Monitoring

MedReAct

New Economics Foudation

Pechétique

Oceana

OurFish

Seas at Risk

Sunce – Association for Nature, Environment and Sustainable Development

Vivamar – Society for the Sustainable Development for the Sea

Zdravi Grad

[1] “The Scientific Advisory  Committee  requested  the Commission to consider the establishment of a new GFCM FRA in the central Adriatic Jabuka/Pomo Pit, on the basis of the technical elements and coordinates provided in the FRA proposal”. Nineteenth session of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) Ljubljana, Slovenia, 16-19 May 2017.

NGOs_letter_Vella_Jabuka-Pomo FINAL

 

Today is World Oceans Day. Recently, there’s been much to celebrate throughout our oceans – such as the creation of massive marine protected areas. But some of our oceans, and some of our seas have little to be happy about: the Mediterranean, for instance, is estimated to be 96% overfished.

Why is this? Well, for a start, the Mediterranean has suffered due to the failure of its EU member states to effectively implement the pillars of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and act to end overfishing.

But Mediterranean fisheries still have a chance. They may be 96% overfished, but if urgent action is taken to halt their overexploitation, Mediterranean fish stocks have a good chance of rebounding to more sustainable levels by 2020. What’s needed is political will from Mediterranean’s EU nations to take real action, and to take it now, before, it’s too late.

Some denial of what happens below the shimmery surface of the Mediterranean can perhaps be understood – apart from divers and fishers, for many people, their relationship with the Mediterranean extends no further than the dinner plate or their beach towel. So long as the fish keep appearing in our markets and restaurants, we don’t ask questions. So long as expert scientific advice continues to be swept under the carpet, by the industry and politicians, the public is kept happy.

But neither political leaders nor the fishing industry can hide behind such excuses: they know the truth, and are failing to act.

Mediterranean leaders recently signed the Medfish4ever Declaration in Malta. This is commendable. However, the declaration seems to be a plan about a plan, rather than real, urgent, concrete measures to conserve, protect and manage Mediterranean fisheries now.

The focus will again be on Malta this October, when EU Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella will host the annual Our Ocean conference. By inviting high profile guests from around the world to his home country, Commissioner Vella aims to attract international praise for European nations by focusing the conference on ocean governance and plastic pollution. Delegates must be told the truth: the Mediterranean is in a dire state, and needs all the help it can get.

Rebecca Hubbard is Campaign Manager for Our Fish, which works to ensure European member states implement the Common Fisheries Policy and achieve sustainable fish stocks in European waters.