EU fisheries reform proposals due in April; EU to protect deepwater species; EU proposes dioxin thresholds for fish; US cod fishing effort to be cut; Spain makes progress in relocating fleet; Record world fish output in 2000; UK landings unchanged ov

摘要

The European Commission will publish its final proposals for reform of the 20-year old Common Fisheries Policy next month. Some significant changes have been made to last year's Green Paper. The European Commission is proposing extra measures to protect vulnerable deepwater species, on top of the proposed total allowable catches. These include mandatory permits for fishing vessels and detailed record keeping. The European Commission has set out 'action levels' for dioxins in food and feedstuffs, including fish and fish oil. These are lower than the legal maximum limits but would trigger remedial action when reached. US fishery regulators have been forced by a court order to introduce new restrictions on cod fishing off the New England coast. The proposed rules include a sharp reduction in days at sea allowed between May and October. Nevertheless, the measures do not go far enough or fast enough for the court and environmental organisations. The Spanish government reports that over half of the vessels made redundant when the EU-Morocco agreement lapsed have been relocated or scrapped. Efforts to develop fisheries cooperation with other countries, particularly in Africa are progressing. According to figures from the FAO. world fish production amounted to 130 million tonnes in 2000, of which 28 percent came from aquaculture. The value of world fisheries trade also continued to rise, despite problems on major shrimp markets and a slump in tuna prices. The UK's landings of demersal species dropped sharply in both volume and value last year, but this was offset by increases in the pelagic and shellfish sectors.