Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-03-14-Speech-2-406"
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"en.20060314.31.2-406"2
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".
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I should first of all like to congratulate Mr Ó Neachtain on his excellent report. Our group is satisfied with the report and we also support the two amendments tabled. The report is very timely. Last month, it became public knowledge that a number of deep-sea fish are threatened with exhaustion and even extinction. There are no two ways about it: the fish stocks are in a desperate fix and a change of tack towards sustainable and environmentally-friendly fisheries is desperately needed, and affects us all.
Let me begin by saying that fishermen will need to adjust to the depletion of fish stocks. While there is a need for technical measures, such as acoustic deterring devices, electric impulses which will render the disturbance of the sea bed unnecessary, adequate mesh sizes and fish hooks in order to minimise bycatch, non-technical measures are at least equally important. I am mainly concerned about preventing illegal fishing and introducing marine reserves so as to replenish fish populations.
This sounds simple, but it is an unfortunate fact that it is not. Our group stresses the need for fishermen to be encouraged to apply sustainable methods. The fisheries sector is having a tough time, not least due to increasing oil prices. In this light, we need an active and involved government in order to promote sustainable fishing. The governments must also stand surety for control and enforcement. Illegal fishing renders the situation impossible for all parties. Without effective control measures, this situation will irrevocably lead to a tragedy of common sense. Everyone stands to lose and soon there will be no fish left to catch.
Thirdly, consumers must also be involved in sustainable fishing. Many consumers wish to buy well-caught fish, but they do not know which of the fish is sustainable. Certification and quality marks are therefore important. Sustainable fish is, first and foremost, fish that is not overfished, without unnecessary bycatch and discards, and good information to consumers is needed in this respect. Only then will consumers take an informed decision in favour of sustainably caught fish.
Finally, in order to make a change of tack possible, we as politicians must shoulder our responsibility. We must constantly draw the attention to sustainable fishing and we must act; we must respond to the fishermen who make the temporary introduction of marine reserves possible, thus ensuring that they do not lose their incomes in the short term. The report that is before us constitutes a few sound steps in that direction and these must be fleshed out in the near future. Needless to say, the fishing industry must be involved in the measures. Only with responsible politicians and active government, innovative fishermen and involved consumers can both the fishing industry and the fish look forward to a sustainable future."@en1
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