|
. | . |
|
by Staff Writers Brussels (AFP) Dec 17, 2014 EU member states have introduced fish catch limits for next year for the Atlantic and North Sea that environmentalists say fail to protect some overfished stocks like cod and sole. Ministers meeting late into Tuesday nonetheless did introduce cuts, even if they fell short of environmentalists' expectations. "Member states made very specific commitments to adopt measures to decrease the pressure on stocks that are in a critical state," Karmenu Vella, the commissioner responsible for fisheries, told a press conference. They also are ready to "commit to additional measures, including cuts, if the measures they propose do not deliver," he added. Compared with 2014, the ministers reduced the cod quota by 20 percent in the Irish Sea in line with recommendations from the European Commission, the EU executive arm, which follows scientific advice. But they cut the cod quota by only 26 percent for areas off Europe's western coastline, despite a commission recommendation to cut the catch by 64 percent. They also maintained the cod quota at the current year's level for the Kattegat region, which connects the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, despite a commission call for 20 percent less. They cut the common sole quota in the Eastern English Channel by 28 percent even though the commission had recommended a cut of 60 percent. They also cut the sole quota by 15 percent in the Bristol Channel and the northern Celtic Sea even though the commission had recommended a cut of 35 percent. Greenpeace said in a statement: "Ministers have maintained existing fishing quotas or accepted weaker cuts than scientists recommended for crucial stocks, including cod in most areas and sole in the Eastern Channel and Irish Sea." Javier Garat, president of the Europeche lobbying group, was happier with the deal. "The quota cuts this year have been significant but in some cases manageable and we should certainly not forget that overall, fishing mortality has dropped dramatically and stocks are rebuilding," Garat said in a statement.
Related Links Water News - Science, Technology and Politics
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service. |