He emerged from two days of negotiations in Brussels insisting: "I have been fighting hard to protect the livelihoods of our fishermen both now and in the long-term, but what we need is a new CFP so we can better manage our fish stocks and ensure the industry is sustainable."
Ministers bartering over the share-out of limited fish stocks were faced with European Commission recommendations for drastic cutbacks in the name of conservation, including reductions of up to 50% for cod and herring off the west of Scotland, 25% cuts in Irish Sea whiting and west of Scotland haddock, and 20% cuts in Irish Sea sole.
But there were also increases for stocks showing signs of recovery, such as a 30% rise in herring caches off south-east Ireland and a 25% increase for Bristol Channel sole. Overall, beleaguered fleets which have faced years of belt-tightening on the basis of grim scientific evidence about dwindling stocks, faced average reductions across the board of 10%.
But Mr Benyon successfully negotiated a 12% increase in North Sea cod as part of UK trials now going on in cod management aimed at increasing the landed catches without increasing quotas.
Under current controversial rules, fishing fleets cannot land their "by-catch" - any species of fish they have netted accidentally or which take vessels over their allocated quota. The so-called "discard" is thrown back, dead, into the sea.
Under the UK trials, all fish caught, including the "discard", counts as part of the quota, obliging fishermen to stop fishing once their limit is reached.
The Government says the system puts the responsibility on fishermen to use their skills and knowledge to fish more selectively, optimising the value of their catch and effectively enabling them to land more fish without exceeding the fish mortality rate compared with the current system.
Mr Benyon said before returning to London: "After two days of intense negotiations, with no clear winners, I am more convinced than ever that the Common Fisheries Policy is broken and needs radical reform. The Commission is right to place scientific evidence at the centre of the agreement and I am very pleased that they have responded to our calls to find a better way to end the dreadful waste of discards, but much more can still be done."
Scottish Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead, also at the talks, said: "These tough and exhausting talks have delivered positives for Scotland in some areas and disappointments in others."
0 comments:
Post a Comment