Timothy Backs Whitby Fishermen
Brussels, Thursday 18 November 2010
I have been concerned about the Whitby fishing fleet and the fishing community for many years. Having held many meetings with fishermen and members of the Whitby community it is clear that we have reached crisis point. The problems in Whitby stem directly from the failure of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and the lack of protection of the small-scale fleet.
I took this message to the European Parliament and in April 2010 we voted on the CFP reform Green Paper. We must have reform of the CFP but reform in the right direction. We must also involve fishermen in the reform process. You may feel this is an obvious statement but all too often in Brussels men behind desks, who have never visited the communities that their legislation affects, make decisions without due consideration.
We are very much in favour of devolved management to Member States removing the 'micro-management' approach which does not involve fishermen themselves.
The current CFP has many failings. Firstly, the strict TAC (total allowable catch) and quota system that gives the Whitby fishermen have a set quota and which cannot be fished above. This means that if they catch fish out of their quota, they will be penalised if they land it so they simply throw it overboard. Hundreds of thousands of fish are thrown back dead. The Commission knows this is happening and it will be addressed in the reform of the CFP.
The other problem is that the EU has so many different types of vessels that there is no set definition of what constitutes a small scale vessel. An Italian small scale vessel is vastly different from a British one. This means that they have no protection from the dominance of the huge commercial vessels. The European Commission has said that it will ensure small-scale coastal vessels are protected and do not disappear from our waters. This is especially important for Whitby where fishing is the life-blood of the community.
Stocks are rapidly depleting and the Commission is trying to balance low stocks with keeping fishermen in business - not an easy task. However, the Commission needs to remember that all their evaluations of stock levels MUST be based on accurate, up-to-date data and scientific assessments. It is unfortunate that in many cases the fishermen can tell that there are stocks in abundance yet they cannot fish them. The Commission often admits that its data is insufficient.
The CFP reform will also look at the problem of fleet overcapacity. Despite what is happening in Whitby, on the whole in the EU, there are too many vessels fishing for ever decreasing stocks. But it must be stressed that we cannot have a situation where large, commercial vessels dominate the industry.
We need to do all we can to protect the remaining Whitby fleet and jobs in the area. I and my Conservative party colleagues in the European Parliament are working hard to ensure that the CFP is reformed so that our local fishermen and our fishing communities are supported. We must listen to the Whitby fishermen and allow management to come from the industry and Member States and not from Brussels.
