Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-01-17-Speech-4-046"
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"en.20020117.3.4-046"2
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"Mr President, I would like to thank the House for having this debate during a prime morning session – normally our debates are at midnight! Long may this continue.
The Commission communication on the rebuilding of cod and hake stocks is a critical issue for those involved in the industry in Scotland. I would like to pay particular attention to the issue of cod. Scientific advice for many years has been stark. It tells us that various stocks are so far outside safe biological limits that major initiatives are now urgently required to stabilise the decline. Thus some form of action must be taken as a matter of urgency.
Firstly, there is the proposal that fishing effort should be reduced by up to 40 to 50%. This is ambitious and begs thorough consideration, working alongside all other Member States. Elements of fleet reduction are being achieved through decommissioning of vessels. In Scotland the Labour-led coalition has committed over GBP 25 million to such a decommissioning scheme. In fact, the first boats began decommissioning last week.
Secondly, additional technical measures have been introduced to improve the selectivity of gear. Thirdly, new monitoring measures have been proposed. The issue of closed areas and possible real-time closures have also been considered and, in some cases, introduced in order to allow for the regeneration of stocks. The need for action on cod recovery is paramount if there is to be a cod fishery at all. We need only look at Newfoundland and Canada to see the consequences of overfishing. Even today the cod have not returned.
However, there are other factors at play. Global warming and the linked heating of our oceans are also considerations. We should never forget the key link between the environmental decisions that we make in this House and the consequences that these have for the sustainability of our seas.
In conclusion, all stakeholders, the European institutions, Member State governments and the fishing industry must be involved if any of these measures are to be successful. An effective stock recovery programme is essential for the future of cod fisheries in Scotland and the UK."@en1
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