A lifesaver to protect the troll system. This is what was initiated by Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida at the last AgriFish council held in Brussels on 20 March. For the first time, Member States had the opportunity to exchange views on the Commission’s new package of measures, published on 21 February, aimed at improving the sustainability and resilience of the EU fisheries and aquaculture sector. However, it is a project that has caused various confusions and that various EU countries want to soften and change.
Consisting of three communiqués and a report, the package assesses the current status of the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and recommends future actions to improve the implementation of fisheries and environmental policies. Among the targets is reducing the dependence of the sector on fossil fuels. The Commission is pressing strongly for sustainability-oriented measures, with a significant change of course to avoid the dramatic depletion of fish resources, but some Member States fear serious economic repercussions on the sector. “Focusing on the implementation of environmental measures and achieving carbon neutrality cannot come at the expense of EU food security and the livelihoods of coastal communities, especially given the current challenges facing the sector.” ministerial meeting
The proposal to phase out bottom trawling in marine protected areas raised eyebrows the most. On the sidelines of the Council, Lollobrigida explained that the Commission’s proposal against trawling “is of particular interest to us, we are concerned about the model” and highlighted how the concern is shared with “almost all European countries” because they fear “some strong impact”. contraindications and less advantage than intended”. The plan also aims to eliminate all mobile bottom capture devices, such as dredging from marine protected areas, i.e. the tools used to grab and collect mollusks nested in the substrate. This operation also collects other undesirable materials. Italy minister meeting “Italy shares the need to identify more effective means to reduce unwanted catches and scraps, and recognizes that eel management plans need to be reviewed,” he said, but asked to “better evaluate the timing of implementation and methods of implementing these processes to avoid deploying targets that are hard to reach”. .
Sharks, stingrays and turtles: all victims of the troll
Concerning bottom trawling, he underlined that “attribution of exclusive responsibility for the depletion of the seabed and fish resources to this fishing system appears to be a simplification”, noting that the European executive’s proposal “cannot be accepted in these ways as described”. action plan”. France also asked for exceptions, for example, for traditional fisheries. To resolve this and other confusions, Member States requested studies and reports, in particular to assess the impact on individual countries. What is needed, according to Lollobrigida, is “all nations It is an action that allows it to bear any burden arising from sustainability, for example environmental burdens, but which is compensated as a result by the possibility of having a tolerable economic and therefore social sustainability”.
The objectives of the plan also include a revision of the extraction obligation, namely the prohibition of the dumping of species into the Mediterranean for which a minimum Community size is foreseen. Species that the fisherman plans to throw into the sea (except in certain circumstances) should be kept on board and recorded in the “Fishing logbooks”. After landing, these catches can be used for purposes other than direct human consumption, such as fishmeal, fish oil, animal feed, food additives, medicine and cosmetics. The Commission aims to strengthen this obligation by extending it to other hunting species. At this point, Lollobrigida expressed some astonishment. “As designed, it determines more costs than benefits, despite the laudable targets it has set for itself,” the minister said in a speech before his European colleagues. Finally, Italy, together with above all Greece and Cyprus, has expressed doubts about the EU’s ability to carry out inspections on the fishing methods of third countries in the Mediterranean. In this context, the Italian minister underlined “how important it is not to continue to punish our fishing fleets with strict rules that cannot be applied to third countries”.
Source: Today IT
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
