Cameras on board, increased traceability and strict catch controls: MEPs and European Union (EU) states have agreed on measures to combat overfishing after several years of tough negotiations, a compromise welcomed by environmental NGOs .

The European Commission had proposed in May 2018 a revision of the methods of controlling fishing activities, but the Twenty-Seven had taken three years to adopt their position before engaging in long talks with MEPs, stumbling in particular on the margins of error allowed. Concluded overnight between the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU, which was negotiating on behalf of the States, and the negotiators of the European Parliament, the compromise provides for increased surveillance for all ships.

All fishing vessels, regardless of their size, will gradually have to be equipped with systems allowing States to control their position and follow their movements and will have to record their catches in electronic logbooks. Vessels of 18 meters or more deemed to be at risk will have to be equipped with on-board cameras.

The aim is to “ensure compliance with the landing obligation”: fishermen are already required to land all catches ashore instead of discarding accidental or unwanted catches at sea. This measure, which aims to check if they do not catch too many vulnerable species, is currently applied in a very patchy way.

10% allowance

Negotiations stalled for a long time around the maximum margin of error tolerated between the quantities estimated by the skippers in their logbook and the quantities actually landed. MEPs had pleaded for a time for a tolerance of 25%, leading the Commission to threaten to withdraw its text in the event of an overly lax compromise encouraging “under-reporting”. Finally, the tolerance margin currently set at 10% per species is maintained, but it may be raised to 20% for species whose total catch does not exceed 100 kg.

Arrangements are planned for “small pelagic [fish]” (herring, sardines, anchovies, etc.), industrial fishing and tropical tuna (which French and Spanish ships will fish as far as the Indian Ocean), with a margin of tolerance of 10% calculated on the total quantity registered, and not by species, in return for “stricter controls” in ports which Brussels will draw up the list.

“These long and difficult discussions were worth it,” reacted European Commissioner for the Environment Virginijus Sinkevicius. This law will put the EU at “the forefront of controlling fishing by digital means”, insisted Socialist MEP Clara Aguilera, who was defending the text in Parliament. Penalties, hitherto extremely variable between countries, will be harmonised, with fines calculated according to the value of the catches of the offending vessel. Recreational fishing will also be more strictly regulated.

Digitized traceability system

Europêche, the fishing industry lobby, welcomed “the planned flexibilities and transition periods”, but said it was waiting for the detailed text. The organization had been concerned about the prospect of overly “intrusive” controls. It will be necessary to check whether the agreement allows “fair conditions of competition” which do not disadvantage European fishermen, underlined Daniel Voces, director general of Europêche.

Environmental NGOs, who feared the talks would stall, welcomed the compromise found with relief. “It’s not the most ambitious agreement, but at least the negotiations have come to an end”, reacted Arthur Meeus, of ClientEarth, deeming it “essential” to have precise figures on the volumes fished “to assess the amount of fish left in the ocean and set more sustainable fishing limits”. An allusion to the annual quotas determined by the EU according to species and fishing areas.

Monitoring obligations will enable “robust traceability for all seafood products, helping authorities to identify illegally caught ones, whether they come from EU waters or are imported,” Vera said. Coelho, from Oceana.

According to the adopted text, information on the origin of fresh and frozen fish marketed, but also processed products, will have to be accessible within the framework of a digitized traceability system, while imported seafood products will be provided with “certificates digital captures”. The text still needs to be formally approved by member states and all MEPs.