EU Proposes Reform on Fisheries

Scottish National Party (SNP) President Ian Hudghton MEP today (Friday) commented on the publication of European Commission proposals aimed at reforming control and enforcement mechanisms in European fisheries. Mr Hudghton welcomed moves by the Commission to ensure that all EU member states apply adequate sanctions to fishermen caught in breach of fisheries law. However, he also highlighted the current failings in the Common Fisheries Policy and pointed out that control and enforcement mechanisms will have little real effect if the very system they are enforcing is fundamentally flawed.

Mr Hudghton commented:

"Control and enforcement is an integral part of any fisheries management regime and it is vital that the rules are properly applied if we are to have a sustainable industry. All too often there is a feeling that some countries turn a blind eye to their fishermen's breaches and the EU does have a role to play in preventing this.

"Nevertheless, the Commission cannot escape the fact that the Common Fisheries Policy is itself a complete failure and no amount of enforcement of the current regime can change that.

"The Commission today described fisheries control as the 'Achilles heel' of the CFP thereby implying that the policy would work better with adequate policing. This ignores the reality of the situation, and control and enforcement is meaningless within a fundamentally flawed system.

"The Commission does have a role to play in ensuring that all EU states enforce fisheries legislation. Fisheries legislation should not however be framed in Brussels; rather, the fishing nations of Europe should take control of their own resources."