Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-01-13-Speech-2-208"
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"en.20040113.10.2-208"2
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"Madam President, I hope you will not penalise my speaking time if I add my protest to that of Mr Varela. As Chairman of the Committee on Fisheries, I am fed up with the Committee's items being kicked around on the agenda from one day to the next. It was on the agenda for this morning's debate and here we are now, with half the members of the Committee who have asked to speak in the debate having to come back this evening. What way is this to organise diaries?
Firstly, I congratulate the rapporteur on this excellent own-initiative report. It was Mr Varela's idea that the Fisheries Committee should conduct in-depth investigations into some of the major species of fish, and what could be more appropriate than starting with tuna, a species of global importance now worth in excess of USD 2 billion per year. World production of canned tuna is over two million tonnes a year, while the trade in fresh tuna is also burgeoning. We held a special hearing in our Committee on this issue, with many industry experts giving evidence. In addition, the Sustainable Development Intergroup organised a seminar in Brussels last November entitled 'Tuna Fleet and Industry: Prospects for the Future', at which we had a wide range of international speakers.
I wish to concentrate on one important aspect of the report, namely the AIDCP – or Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Program – to which the EU is a signatory, as is the United States and most of the tuna-producing nations of Central and South America. It is the most reliable method for ensuring that tuna is dolphin safe. I am grateful to Mr Varela for highlighting this in his report in a very positive way. He said in his report, 'the system for protecting dolphins in purse-seine fisheries established by the AIDCP, ... is far removed from other private certification schemes which have hitherto been introduced.' I thoroughly endorse that analysis.
One of these private certification schemes, promoted by the Californian NGO Earth Island, has dominated the canned tuna market for some years. It is estimated that over 97% of all canned tuna in Europe carries their 'dolphin safe' label. However, their 'dolphin safe' label is not turtle safe or shark safe. The method of fishing supported by Earth Island, in its current form, causes the death of countless turtles, sharks and other species and also kills thousands of young yellowfin tuna, discarded dead into the sea because they are below marketable weight.
I very much endorse the support that Mr Varela's report has given to the AIDCP label and hope the Commission will push for this label to be used exclusively on canned tuna in the EU."@en1
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