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Discards
This is what Maria Damanaki EU Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries stated at a high level meeting on the issue of discards, reported on her website:
“Today discarding is a key challenge in fisheries management. In 2004, the FAO estimated that 7,3 million tonnes, that is 8 % of the total fish catches were discarded. Some of you may think this figure is not so striking. Well let me give you some figures for European fisheries, which proves that we are doing much worse than the global average: in the whitefish fishery up to half of the catch is thrown overboard and in the flatfish fishery we are even talking about 70 % of the catches being discarded.
Surely you will agree with me that these figures are alarming. I have to make it very clear: I consider discarding of fish unethical, a waste of natural resources and a waste of fishermen’s effort. But I would like to go further. Beyond our own beliefs or principles, since our stocks are declining, these figures are not justifiable anymore. If we continue with our policy, then we will soon face a situation where the production capacity of marine ecosystems is at risk.
If we continue with our policy, then discarding will erode the economic basis of our fishermen and our coastal regions will be eroded. Then fishermen and their families will pay the bill. If we continue our policy, the consumers will turn away from fish, because, sooner or later, it will receive a negative image of waste of our natural resources.
We need to avoid this under all circumstances. So far we have tried to tackle discards with technical measures. But let’s be honest, if we continue this it is like treating a serious illness with Aspirin. We have to recognize that our policy gives sometimes incentives to discarding. So, I am convinced that we have to start thinking outside the box.
To effectively tackle discarding we need to look at new ways forward. Therefore, I am considering proposing a discard ban as part of the CFP reform proposals. And while I say this word – discard ban – out loud, I am conscious that some of you would rather not discuss such a ban, while others already support this idea. But I need to point out to you: if we don’t tackle this problem now, it will come back to haunt us. We will regret having missed this unique chance of the upcoming CFP Reform to find a new way forward.
We have tried to put this new way forward into a short non paper with an outline of ideas on how to effectively implement a discard ban, which you have all received.
Let me quickly outline the basic ideas. My idea would be to have a gradual approach. For example we can start with the pelagic fisheries, and then cover a few important demersal mixed fisheries after a short phase in period. The list of species covered by a discard ban could then be enlarged year by year.
The question then is which management system to choose, in order to manage fish stocks. One possibility would be to only manage our mixed fisheries with an effort system. The idea is to preserve relative stability by translating the relative stability in quotas into a relative stability in effort for mixed fisheries. Such a management system is relatively simple as all catches would need to be landed. Control is also easy as the time spent at sea can be easily controlled by the vessel monitoring system.
Another possibility is the catch quota system with by catch quotas. All catches would have to be counted against quotas and then later against the by catch quotas. In such a system it would also be necessary that Member States allocate quotas more in line with the real possible catches of their vessels. A catch quota system would need guarantees that it would work, because it will be more complicated.
Whatever system is chosen in the end, whether it is effort management or catch quotas, a discard ban needs consistency in all rules of the CFP. We need consistency in market measures. Also the control pillars of the CFP, will be very important. We will need CCTV or observers on board vessels above a certain length.
We owe it also to our fishing industry to do something about discarding. Actually the industry itself has already understood this, as they have taken measures such as designing more selective gears. There are many good examples like the 50% project in the UK, the langoustine project in the Golf de Gascogne as well as projects in Sweden and Denmark. A discard ban will further incentivise these very good initiatives.
We need to discuss a discard ban as part of the reformed CFP. The new CFP must become a policy that has sustainability written all over it. If it does not do away with discards then it will not deserve this name.
But make no mistake; I am also conscious of the complexity of this challenge. So I would like to have an open discussion with you on all these elements so that we can identify a constructive way forward. If we can find some solutions here, then we have to open a broader consultation involving all members states, stakeholders and our citizens.”
Note for Editors :
On 1 March, Commissioner Maria Damanaki invited members of the European Parliament, EU fisheries ministers and the Court of Auditors for an informal political discussion on how to end discards in the context of the Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Today's discussions will feed into the formal debate on the CFP reform, due to be presented by the European Commission in the coming months.
Halting the Loss of Marine Biodiversity
The EU has committed itself to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2010, but it has clearly failed to do so. The Council has recently endorsed a new and ambitious target to halt biodiversity loss and restore, where possible, lost or damaged ecosystems by 2020. Reaching this goal will not be easy, and it will require addressing the problems at the root of the decline in marine biodiversity.
It is therefore a timely coincidence that the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is currently undergoing a reform process. This reform will be key in determining whether European fisheries will contribute to achieving the 2020 biodiversity target, or whether they will continue driving biodiversity loss, as they have done thus far.
The CFP has utterly failed in delivering sustainable European fisheries. 88% of assessed European fish stocks are overfished, and 30% are outside safe biological limits. According to research conducted at the University of Kiel, if fishing was stopped altogether in 2010, more than a fifth of European fish stocks would still not be replenished by 2015.
Against this background, it becomes clear that the reform of the CFP must deliver radical change. In this respect, there are three issues to be highlighted among the key priorities in the reform process.
Environment at the heart of fisheries policy
Healthy seas are a prerequisite for abundant fish stocks and thriving fishing communities. Simply put, there are fish without fisheries, but no fisheries without fish. The CFP must do away with political short-sightedness, which sacrifices the biological basis of fishing activities in order to satisfy short term economic interests or social objectives. Taking action to restore marine ecosystems may create social and economic costs in the short term; however, inaction will put the sustainability of the resource and therefore the future of the fishing sector at risk.
Governance
Most of the CFP’s problems stem from governance failures. The CFP has long suffered from political haggling, with measures of great intricacy being dealt with at the highest political level. As a result, national ministers have traditionally entangled themselves in debates about issues such as the size of nets and annual quotas.
Now, following the Lisbon Treaty, the political process also includes the European Parliament in most decisions related to fisheries management. More politicians are, in short, debating issues that do not require political leadership, which in turn leads to protracted political discussions when it is urgent decisions that are needed to rectify technical problems.
The future CFP must give the Council and the Parliament the task to decide on the overarching principles and long-term objectives of the policy whilst the detailed implementation should be left to the Commission or decentralised management bodies.
Rewarding responsible fishing
At present, the CFP allocates access to fish stocks based on the principle of ‘relative stability’, meaning that access to stocks is allocated based on individual countries’ historical catches. This model needs to be replaced with one that gives preferential access to fishing resources to those operators who better contribute to the environmental and social objectives of the CFP.
Sustainability criteria should also be applied when tackling the deep-rooted problem of fleet overcapacity: the most destructive vessels should be removed from the fleet first. Because overcapacity is one of the main drivers of overfishing, it is key that compulsory fleet reduction targets with associated timelines be put in place.
There are of course multiple issues that have to be addressed in the context of the CFP reform. However, it is only through putting the environment at the heart of fisheries policy that our fish stocks can be revived, that the economic plight of coastal communities can be reversed and that the abundant biodiversity of our seas can be secured.
Spain protects more than ten species of sharks and rays
The Shark Alliance welcomes the inclusion, for the first time, of species of sharks and rays in the Spanish List of Wild Species under Special Protection (Listado de Especies Silvestres en Régimen de Protección Especial, in Spanish).
On 23 February 2011, the Spanish Official State Gazette published Royal Decree Nº139/2011, developing the List of Wild Species under Special Protection and the Spanish Catalog of Threatened Species. Inclusion in these lists prohibits the capture, injury, trade, import and export of these species, and requires periodic evaluations of their conservation status.
The species included in the List of Wild Species under Special Protection are:
White shark (Carcharodon carcharias), Mediterranean population.
Basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus), Mediterranean and Iberian Atlantic populations.
Giant devil ray (Mobula mobular), Mediterranean population.
All species of hammerhead sharks (genera Sphyrna and Eusphyra) and thresher sharks (genus Alopias).
Inclusion in the List of Wild Species is a step forwards in the protection of these vulnerable species, especially for the giant devil ray, which was the only species that did not previously enjoy any measure of protection on a national or European level.
The targeted or accidental capture of thresher and hammerhead sharks by the Spanish fishing fleet was prohibited in 2009 (Order ARM/2689/2009). For several years, white and basking sharks have also been protected in the European Union, thus prohibiting their capture or landing (including the landing of those captured accidentally); most recently under Council Regulation (EU) Nº57/2011.
The Shark Alliance, however, regrets that none of these species have been included in the Spanish Catalog of Threatened Species which would have required the development of population recovery plans. The Shark Alliance also regrets that other endangered species also in the need of such protection were not included.
The Shark Alliance encourages the Spanish Government to continue efforts towards the protection of endangered species of sharks and rays. Angel sharks (Squatina spp.), guitarfishes (Rhinobatos spp.), and the white skate (Rostroraja alba) are some of the species that should also be included in the Spanish Catalog of Threatened Species.
Giant devil rays are subject to unsustainable bycatch in longline, purse seine and bottom trawling fisheries. This species is listed as Endangered in the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Guitarfishes, whose fins are particularly valuable for use in shark fin soup, are classified by the IUCN as Endangered. In the Mediterranean, guitarfishes were once common, but are now assumed locally extinct in some areas. Angel sharks off Spanish coast and Mediterranean white skates are listed by IUCN as Critically Endangered and some local populations of these bottom-dwelling shark and ray species have already been wiped out, mainly as unintended bycatch in fisheries for other species.
The Shark Alliance has been working with the Spanish and other EU governments since its creation in 2006. In February 2009, the European Commission adopted the Community Plan of Action for the Conservation of Sharks which requires national governments to enact protection for endangered shark species.
European Parliament Supports Strengthening the EU Finning Ban
16.12.10: The European Parliament today endorsed a resolution on shark finning that calls on the Commission to deliver a proposal to prohibit the removal of shark fins on-board vessels.
Four Members of the European Parliament (MEPs): Jean-Paul Besset, Chris Davies, Sirpa Pietikäinen, and Daciana Octavia Sârbu, from the ALDE, EPP-DE, Greens-EFA and S&D groups launched Written Declaration 71/2010 on shark finning on 20 September. By 16 December, over 400 of the 736 MEPs had added their names, achieving a majority. The Written Declaration is now adopted by the Plenary of the European Parliament. Endorsed as a Resolution of the Parliament, it will be forwarded to the European Commission, who last month launched a public consultation on options for amending the regulation, including a ban on at-sea fin removal.
“The removal of fins on board vessels and discarding the carcass is a wasteful and unacceptable way to fish. Europe is home to some of the world’s largest fishing fleets and poor European shark policies with lack of enforcement pose threats to sharks not only in European waters but in other parts of the world. The shark finning ban needs to be enforced effectively and we welcome this support from MEPs from across all European member states and political groups”, stated Sirpa Pietikäinen MEP, Finland, from the Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats). “I would like to thank EU citizens for encouraging us to take action. It sends a powerful message to EU decision makers that these valuable yet vulnerable species must be protected”, added Jean-Paul Besset MEP, France, from the group of the Greens/European Free Alliance.
“The current exploitation of the world’s oceans is unsustainable and we need to act now to preserve marine biodiversity. Sharks are crucial to the natural balance of marine ecosystem, and this Resolution is a positive step towards their much needed protection”, explained Daciana Sarbu MEP, Romania from the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats. “The EU Commission now needs to propose legislation as soon as possible in 2011 with the one truly reliable option for preventing finning - a complete prohibition of the removal of shark fins at sea”, stated Chris Davies MEP, UK, from the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group.
Sharks’ tendency to grow slowly, mature late and/or produce a small number of young makes them exceptionally vulnerable to overfishing. Roughly one-third of European species are considered threatened.
The Shark Alliance is a coalition of more than 100 conservation, scientific and recreational organisations dedicated to restoring and conserving shark populations by improving shark conservation policies. The Shark Alliance was pleased to support MEPs in this initiative.
For more information, media interviews or B roll, please contact:
Sophie Hulme, Tel: +44 (0) 7973 712 869 Email: sophie@communicationsinc.co.uk
Media interviews in Strasbourg:
Chris Davies MEP: +33 (0)3 88 17 53 53
Sirpa Pietikaïnen MEP: +33 (0)3 88 17 52 64
Jean-Paul Besset MEP: +33 (0)3 88 17 53 48
Daciana Octavia Sârbu MEP: +33 (0)3 88 17 58 05
Marine Ecosystems At Risk says Global U.N. Environment Report
Marine ecosystems around the world are at risk of substantial deterioration in coming decades as oceans face growing threats from pollution, over-fishing and climate change, a report unveiled for a U.N. meeting in Nagoya, Japan showed on Tuesday. "Multi-million dollar services, including fisheries, climate-control and ones underpinning industries such as tourism are at risk if impacts on the marine environment continue unchecked and unabated," Achim Steiner, head of the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP), said in a statement.
The global U.N. Environment Programme report, based on 18 regions, predicted that productivity would fall in nearly all areas by 2050, with fisheries becoming dominated by smaller species toward the bottom of the food chain. Surface sea temperatures could rise by 2100, if steps are not taken to address climate change, affecting coral reefs and other marine organisms, the report said, and a continued increase in nitrogen levels could trigger algal blooms and lead to the poisoning of fish and other marine life. Regional reports outlined steps that could be taken for policymakers, with the study for the North West Pacific covering China, Japan, South Korea and Russia calling for more management of ships' ballast water and regulation of fish stocks.
AWARENESS-RAISING ACTIVITIES
Invitation to Dive with Us on 25th September 2010 for Project AWARE underwater cleanup
Kids United collected 7kgs of beach litter and 197 cigarette filters for Project AWARE!
 
EUROPEAN FISH WEEK  was a great success, with activities taking place in many different countries and Spain particularly active. Here, in L’Escala, we organised a special dive followed by a buffet and viewing of the disturbing documentary film End of the Line. On the boat trip to the dive site we had a quizz to see who knew which fish are still abundant and which species are rare or endangered. Then we dived to see how many of the more common species we could spot, and had fun trying to get our banner spread out underwater!
 PROJECT AWARE CLEANUPS are an ongoing activity for us Eco Divers, in that we always clean up and log any man-made debris that we find whilst underwater. In addition, last summer we organised a Project Aware Beach Cleanup with the Kids United Summer School, L’Escala. The children spent a week learning about marine conservation issues and maKING artworks for the Project Aware art competition. They were very enthusiastic and eagle-eyed in carrying out the cleanups on two beaches THAT ARE neglected by the local authority, and gathered a whopping 9 kgs of litter! WELL DONE KIDS UNITED!
LA CORUNA DECLARATION: PLACING SUSTAINABLE ARTISANAL COASTAL FISHERIES AT THE HEART OF THE CFP REFORM
Artisanal coastal fishing activities, account for around 80% of the fleet (by vessel numbers), catch around 30% of the fish by value, and provide 65% of direct employment in European Union fisheries. Artisanal coastal fishing fleets that fish in a non-intensive manner, using a range of seasonally diverse fishing methods on a range of species, have a relatively low impact on the ecosystem. Such fisheries also generate considerable ancillary jobs; they provide the social, economic and cultural fabric that sustains many coastal communities, where they make an important contribution to food security and political, social and economic stability. Artisanal coastal fishing, if treated fairly, managed responsibly, with well defined rights, has the potential to deliver healthy fisheries over the long-term and sustainable livelihoods.
- Sharks Denied CITES Protections
Parties overturn Committee decision to list porbeagle sharks under CITES Appendices and confirm rejection of similar action for hammerhead, oceanic whitetip, and spiny dogfish sharks
- OCEAN 2010, a coalition of marine conservation organisations that we work with, has released its first report! The report, written by Chris Grieve of Meridian Prime, consists of a number of case studies on environmental and social criteria for allocating access to fisheries resources. Reading the report will give you a good understanding of one of our main campaign objectives in relation to the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. Free download here.
- Shark Alliance Applauds Tentative Adoption of International Trade Safeguards for Porbeagle Sharks at CITES Parties fail to accept proposals to list threatened hammerhead, oceanic whitetip, and spiny dogfish sharks under the CITES Appendices
- Great News for Cala Montgo
- Scotland Bans shark finning 19/01/2010
- Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead today received the 'Shark Champion Award' in recognition of Scotland's new ban on the removal of fins from sharks at sea which came into force on January 1.
- Endangered Sharks Exploited for Liver Extract
- Campaign against Shark Finning launched by China’s basket ball hero
- Every year on Faroe Island, Denmark, the brutal slaughter of hundreds of Calderon dolphins takes place.
- Bad News For Bluefin Tuna....
- Kenna Eco Diving joined OCEAN 2012, a coalition of organisations concerned that sustainability and an ecosystems approach should be the priorities for the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. How to submit your contribution? Everyone is invited to contribute to the consultation by offering answers to questions posed in the Green Paper. Contributions should mention the specific section in the Green Paper to which they are referring. Click here to view the Green Paper
- 2009 - Kenna Eco Diving is pleased to announce that we have been selected as one of the local coordinators for the SILMAR Project and will be responsible for surveying our part of the Costa Brava coastline - with the help of our Eco Dive Volunteers! You can now look at how the transects are progressing on the SILMAR web site
- Spain is bottom of the Shark Alliance chart for countries helping or harming sharks. This is despite public opinion in favour of shark conservation and lobbying of the Spanish government. Please sign the petition calling on Zapatero and the government of Spain, the biggest supplier of shark fins to the Asian market, to start helping to protect endangered sharks and stop creating loopholes in the present protection measures.
- Kenna Eco Diving has joined forces with Shark Alliance and with the Let Sharks Live network in order to raise awareness of the fast decline of sharks (see below). Sharks are under threat worldwide and especially in the Mediterranean Sea. 2009 was THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE SHARK
- MarBEF has published a PDF detailing the work on European marine biodiversity undertaken by its coalition of marine researchers over the past 5 years. FREE DOWNLOAD - well worth reading!
- Kenna Eco Diving has joined Earthdive, an online organisation seeking to collate data from divers all around the world to build up a global picture of the status of key coastal species. We will be contributing our Mediterranean observations into their database and divers anywhere in the world can join and contribute too!.
- Fifth of corals dead: only emission cuts can save the rest, says IUCN. The oceans have lost 19% of their coral reefs, revealed the 2008 global update of the world's reef status. The Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network report showed that many of the remaining reefs may be lost over the next 2 to 4 decades if current trends in carbon dioxide emissions continue.
- Fast fall of Mediterranean sharks By Richard Black, Environment correspondent, BBC News. Sharks in the Mediterranean Sea have undergone a massive decline over the last two centuries, scientists have discovered from historical records.
- The new database of Mediterranean MPAs is NOW online - 12 September 2008 The inventory of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) of the Mediterranean Sea has been recently updated and improved and the online database is freely searchable.
- Scientists Reveal First-Ever Global Map of Total Human Effect on Oceans - More than 40 percent of world's oceans heavily affected - February 14 2008 More than 40 percent of the world's oceans are heavily affected by human activities, and few if any areas remain untouched, according to the first global-scale study of human influence on marine ecosystems. By overlaying maps of 17 different activities such as fishing, climate change and pollution, the researchers have produced a composite map of the toll that humans have exacted on the seas.
- Octopuses Had Antarctic Ancestor - Marine Census OSLO - Many octopuses evolved from a common ancestor that lived off Antarctica more than 30 million years ago, according to a "Census of Marine Life" that is seeking to map the oceans from microbes to whales. Researchers in 82 nations, whose 10-year study aims to help protect life in the seas, found a mysterious meeting place for white sharks in the eastern Pacific Ocean and algae thriving at -25 degrees Celsius (-13 Fahrenheit) in the Arctic. "We are approaching a picture of the oceans ... from microbes to whales," said Ron O'Dor, co-senior scientist of the census of the 2007-08 findings by up to 2,000 scientists.
- Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning EU Network of Excellence
New MarBEF paper in MarBEF Open Archive Full reference: Franco, M.A.; Steyaert, M.; Cabral, H.N.; Tenreiro, R.; Chambel, L.; Vincx, M.; Costa, M.J.; Vanaverbeke, J. (2008). Impact of discards of beam trawl fishing on the nematode community from the Tagus estuary (Portugal). Mar. Pollut. Bull. 56(10): 1728–1736. Web link: http://www.marbef.org/modules.php?name=moa&module=ref&refid=126431
- Marine Biodiversity Wiki: http://www.marbef.org/wiki
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