Ministers find compromise to appease environmentalists and fisheries
The agreement reached on fishing quotas by ministers at their Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 21 December is a compromise intended to recognise the concerns of both environmentalists and fishing communities, but has been criticised by both. Under the agreement, the number of days that cod trawlers can spend at sea will be cut by five per cent, instead of the 15 per cent recommended by the European Commission. This is in spite of calls from scientists at the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) for a complete ban on cod fishing. The recommendation, based on very low cod stocks, was naturally opposed by fishing fleets. 'I believe this agreement will help conserve fish stocks, preserve the marine environment and help the long-term future of the fishing industry, said UK Fisheries Minister Ben Bradshaw, speaking on behalf of the UK Presidency. Ministers agreed to grant a small increase in prawn fishing, but herring and whiting quotas were reduced. Anchovy fishing in the Bay of Biscay was given the go-ahead to recommence, despite concerns over low stocks among scientists. Environmentalists would have liked cuts to go further, in line with scientific advice, while fisheries claim that quotas are hitting them hard. Many deepwater fish are particularly vulnerable because they grow slowly, mature late in life and form aggregations easily accessible to fisheries, says the ICES. Recovery rates are also much slower than in shallower waters.