Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-02-14-Speech-3-431"
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"en.20070214.26.3-431"2
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"Madam President, in the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, I am responsible for the subject of cod fishing in the Baltic Sea. In my work on this matter, I have been able to observe that, despite reduced fishing quotas, parts of the cod stock are close to the biologically critical limit. The threats to cod are many, but, despite everything, the greatest threat is illegal fishing.
As a basis for my report, I tried to get hold of the Commission’s assessment of the extent of illegal fishing around the Baltic. The information was kept secret, however, and it took me months to extract it. Yesterday, I got hold of the report, however, and I now suddenly understand what all the secretiveness was about. Illegal fishing in the Baltic is worse than we had all imagined. I can only regret that Sweden is among the worst culprits. The Commission states, however, that Poland is the worst culprit of all. When the inspectors checked up on fishing in Poland, the actual figures were 48% larger than the catches reported. This means, then, that something approaching a third of Polish fishing proves to be illegal. The second worst culprit was Sweden. In Sweden, the actual figures found when the checks were carried out were as much as 21% larger than the catches reported. That is quite incomprehensible, because Swedish fishermen do not even fulfil their quotas.
The conclusion that I draw from the report I read is that we must find a new strategy. We cannot pin our hopes on endless negotiations about reductions in fishing quotas. The environmental movement should get around to withdrawing its demands for an end to fishing. All those of us who would safeguard fishing in seas such as the Baltic should instead unite in the fight to stop illegal fishing. I should therefore like to demand four things from the Commission. Firstly, instead of protecting the culprits and keeping their identities secret, you should expose them by publishing the names of those countries that do not put an end to illegal fishing. Secondly, you should ensure that electronic logbooks are required without delay for all fishing boats in the Baltic, irrespective of their size. Thirdly, you should take Poland to court for breaching the fishing regulations; and fourthly you should immediately set up an inquiry into the possibility of introducing individual transferable fishing quotas that give individual professional fishermen an interest of their own in protecting fish stocks. I would therefore ask today, in this House, if the Commission is prepared to do these things."@en1
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