"Fishing for a Future: The Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy"

Fishing for a Future: The Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy


The IIEA has launched a policy paper by Killian Kehoe entitled Fishing for a Future: The Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, which seeks to propose realistic and practical steps to securing the future of the Irish and European fishing industry (link).

The nine action points, outlined in detail below, include the adoption of an ecosystem-based approach, the encouragement of a more sustainable coastal inshore fishing fleet, the extension of exclusive and restricted access zones from 12 to 25 miles to protect stocks more effectively, the preservation of relative stability but with certain modernising modifications and the provision of increased levels of financial support to facilitate industry adjustment while countering the social costs.

This paper comes in the context of a broad-based consultation by the European Commission with Member States and stakeholders, with a view to bringing about fundamental reform of the CFP. It offers a timely opportunity to address the cycle of decline in which Irish and European fisheries have been trapped in recent decades.

It is against this background that the IIEA has submitted this paper to the Irish and European consultation process. The paper, which was compiled by Killian Kehoe and informed by dialogue with industry stakeholders, is being circulated to key policy-makers and thought-leaders in the sector with a view to stimulating further debate and encouraging vital changes to the CFP.                            

The nine action points for reform include:

1. To revise and sharpen CFP objectives by giving due precedence to the sustainability of fish stocks as a first priority, while alleviating the short-term costs of favouring this approach.

2. To progressively implement an ecosystem-based approach leading to a maximum sustainable yield and a ban on fish discards.

3. To extend exclusive and restricted access zones from 12 to 24 miles.

4. To regionalize and localize fisheries management for a more effective, customized but uniform approach through subdividing roles more clearly between firstly the setting of overall policy objectives, secondly effecting and overseeing implementation and thirdly operational day to day management.

5. To reduce fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions by promoting fuel efficiency and greater preferences for coastal inshore fleets as opposed to distant water fleets.

6. To introduce differential decommissioning of distant-water vessels and retire associated quotas to address the current capacity problems.

7. To modify relative stability by updating it to better reflect current fishing practices.

8. To financially counter short-term economic and social pain by financing and facilitating industry adjustment to ensure long-term sustainability.

9. Finally, to achieve transparency of quota management, uniformity of control and enforcement of equalisation of penalties across Member States.

The conclusion outlines Ireland’s strategic interests, and suggests that the Treaty of Lisbon and potential Icelandic accession could encourage the regionalisation and localisation of fisheries management.

For further information please contact:

Killian Kehoe: killian.kehoe@iiea.com             +353 (0) 1 8746756

Note:

The full report ‘Fishing for a Future: The Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy’ is available on the IIEA website: http://www.iiea.com/publications