Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-10-23-Speech-4-005"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20031023.1.4-005"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Mr President, honourable Members, ladies and gentlemen, let me start by thanking Mrs Stihler, for her report. On Monday, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) published its new scientific recommendation for 2004 and has now, unfortunately, been obliged to confirm the disastrous state that cod stocks are in, including in the waters to the west of Scotland, in the eastern English Channel, in the Skagerrak and in the Kattegat.
ICES has now advised that fishing for these four stocks be closed down. This, of course, puts us in a massive dilemma. Can we justify basing our decision solely on ICES’ argument in favour of replenishing stocks, which would result in our having to prohibit not only fishing for cod, but also for a whole range of other fish, and, in due course, in thousands of fishermen facing oblivion? Or could we find a way out by improving our plans for stock recovery, so that, although stocks would recover more slowly and would also involve some elements of uncertainty, fewer fishermen would be forced to abandon their trade? This is certainly a difficult decision, but it is one we will have to take before we can adopt any kind of plan to replenish cod stocks.
The outline that we are debating today is a general one, and serves as a good basis for a cod stock recovery plan that would secure us the chance to revert to normal management conditions. It starts by identifying the lower limit below which scientists regard a stock as threatened with collapse. The plan contains formulae for calculating total allowable catches (TAC) on the basis of scientific estimates of current stocks. If the stock is larger than the lower limit, the TAC will be set in such a way that the stock can increase by 30% in the following year. It introduces limitations on the fishing effort, allocated to the Member States in proportion to their share in the total allowable catch of cod. It also contains measures to improve the monitoring and control of the vessels whose fishing effort is subject to management measures; these include provisions on prior notification and on the requirement to land cod in designated ports."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples