Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-10-09-Speech-3-165"
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"en.20021009.12.3-165"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the move that led to the proposal for a regulation that we are debating this evening is exemplary and deserves thorough consideration when it comes to updating the common fisheries policy. Around fifteen years ago, the French fishermen of Boulogne-sur-Mer began fishing for and selling certain species of fish living beyond the continental shelf in the deep trench, which is more than 800 metres deep. It was at the request of these professional fishermen that a scientific research institute, Ifremer, started to take a close interest in the biology of these species and particularly in their biological cycle. A fruitful collaboration between professionals and scientists enabled them to determine quite early on that these species have slow life cycles and that there was an urgent need for catches to be limited so as not to endanger their biological balance.
Also at the request of the professionals, supported in their action by the scientists, the government of the main Member State concerned, France, asked the Commission to take action to regulate these new fishing grounds by establishing TACs and quotas. The Commission was reluctant for a long time and dragged its heels. Without the political agreement reached at the Fisheries Council of last June, it is unlikely that we would now have these two proposals for regulations on fishing deep-water stocks. Finally, however, we do have them and I welcome both them and the report by Michael Holmes, who has addressed this issue with great competence and whom I too wish a speedy recovery.
The way in which these regulations have come to exist is exemplary for more than one reason. It illustrates first of all the fact that fishermen are of course the main people concerned and the main actors when it comes to establishing rules for sustainable fishing. It also shows that the instruments best suited to providing the effective protection of fish species are those which are flexible and reversible, such as TACs and quotas, and not rigid structural measures with irreversible effects such as the destruction of vessels or the retraining of fishermen. It also shows that fishermen and scientists can work together closely and intelligently and come up with proposals for realistic and constructive management measures which allow fishing to take place whilst at the same time managing resources. Lastly, it demonstrates that an upwards action rising from the field level to the competent authority is more effective than the downwards and even condescending action usually favoured, unfortunately, by the Commission, not least when it launched the draft reform of the CFP. These lessons must therefore be carefully retained and implemented, if possible, within the entire process of reforms underway.
Having said that, I think that we can only welcome the fact that we have achieved this regulation and I shall be supporting the report by Michael Holmes as well as most of his amendments, which have the support of the fishermen concerned, particularly those calling for the re-examination of the provision every three years in order to update the results obtained."@en1
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