Explanatory Memorandum to COM(2018)115 - Multi-annual plan for the fisheries exploiting demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean Sea - Main contents
Please note
This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2018)115 - Multi-annual plan for the fisheries exploiting demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean Sea. |
|---|---|
| source | COM(2018)115  |
| date | 08-03-2018 |
1. CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL
• Reasons for and objectives of the proposal
The western Mediterranean is one of the most developed sub-regions in terms of fisheries in the Mediterranean. It accounts for around 31 % of its total landing (EUR 1.35 billion out of a total of EUR 4.76 billion) and around 19 % of the officially reported Mediterranean fishing fleet 1 .
While not representing the largest proportion of landings, demersal fisheries are highly sought after by fishermen due to their high commercial value. Demersal fisheries in the Mediterranean are highly complex and involve many species of fish and crustaceans. The main demersal species caught in the western Mediterranean are hake (Merluccius merluccius), red mullet (Mullus barbatus), giant red shrimp (Aristaeomorpha foliacea), deep-water rose shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris), blue and red shrimp (Aristeus antennatus) and Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus). These fisheries are highly multi-species and some of the fish stocks move across the territorial waters of more than one Member State. The main gear used for demersal species are trawl nets, which have the largest catch and fleet power, but passive gears such as trammel nets, gillnets, traps and longlines are also important.
Demersal fisheries in the western Mediterranean are currently managed through national management plans adopted under Council Regulation (EC) No 1967/2006 (the ‘MedReg’) 2 . Italy has three management plans for trawlers (adopted in a single piece of legislation in 2011) 3 , France has one management plan for trawlers (adopted in 2013) 4 and so does Spain (its plan entered into force in 2013) 5 . The plans are based on input controls, i.e. limiting fishing effort. This management approach typically involves measures such as restrictions on fishing gear and on the number of fishing authorisations and licences, setting a maximum number of fishing days, and permanent or temporary cessations. At EU level, a three-year discard plan 6 , 7 was adopted in 2016 to implement the landing obligation established in Article 15 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 8 (the CFP Regulation) for species subject to minimum conservation reference size. At international level, the GFCM adopted a recommendation for a fisheries restricted area in the Gulf of Lions (the northern part of the western Mediterranean) to protect spawning aggregations (particularly for hake) and deep sea sensitive habitats in 2009 9 . As seen below, these measures are not restrictive enough to guide fisheries towards the conservation objectives set in the MedReg and the common fisheries policy (CFP).
Most commercial stocks in the western Mediterranean are exploited at levels well beyond fishing mortality ranges consistent with achieving maximum sustainable yield (FMSY) targets: over 80 % of the assessed stocks are overfished in this sub-region 10 . Furthermore, the biomass of some of these stocks is close to the limit reference point (BLIM) 11 , indicating that there is a high probability of collapse. Hake and red mullet are the most commonly overfished stocks, with current levels of exploitation up to 10 times the estimated FMSY targets. Although the status of many other fish stocks is unknown, it is highly probable they are in a similar situation. In various consultations carried out in 2015 and 2016, including as part of the ‘Catania process’, stakeholders overwhelmingly agreed that fish stocks in the Mediterranean are severely overfished. In addition, the scientific community at European and international level has repeatedly stressed the need to take urgent measures to reduce the high levels of overfishing throughout the Mediterranean basin.
This proposal addresses the high levels of overfishing and the ineffective regulatory framework by introducing for the first time a multi-annual plan at EU level. Its aim is to achieve the objectives of the CFP Regulation (Article 2) in western Mediterranean demersal fisheries, namely with regards to ensure that fishing activities are environmentally sustainable in the long term and managed in a way that secure economic, social and employment benefits. The plan will also facilitate implementation of the landing obligation and enable a regionalised approach, whereby the Member States concerned would be involved in the design of management measures.
The CFP Regulation establishes a general framework and identifies situations in which the Council and the European Parliament are to adopt multi-annual plans; more specifically:
–Article 9 lays down the principles and objectives of multi-annual plans. In particular, conservation measures should be taken to restore and maintain fish stocks above levels capable of producing the maximum sustainable yield (MSY);
–Article 10 lists the content of multi-annual plans. Quantifiable targets corresponding to maximum sustainable yields are expressed as FMSY ranges. These allow some flexibility to reflect mixed fisheries and make for greater consistency in setting management measures for the various stocks, as they provide some room for manoeuvre. The targets are to be complemented with safeguard provisions linked to precautionary and limit conservation reference points;
–Article 15 requires plans to specify details as to how the landing obligation will be met, including: specific provisions for fisheries or species covered by the obligation; exemptions, including de minimis exemptions of up to 5 % of total annual catches of all species subject to the obligation; provisions on the documentation of catches; where appropriate, the fixing of minimum conservation reference sizes; and
–Article 18 establishes a framework for regional cooperation on conservation measures. Member States with a direct management interest may submit joint recommendations for certain measures to be taken by the Commission where it has been empowered to adopt implementing or delegated acts to achieve the objectives set out in the plan. The plan establishes regional cooperation among Member States with a view to adopting provisions for the landing obligation and specific conservation measures for certain stocks.
Section 5 gives an overview of the specific provisions of the multi-annual plan.
• Consistency with existing policy provisions in the policy area
This proposal for a multi-annual plan for the fisheries exploiting demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean Sea is consistent with the CFP Regulation and with previous multi-annual plans for cod, herring and sprat in the Baltic Sea 12 , demersal stocks in the North Sea 13 and small pelagic species in the Adriatic Sea 14 .
The MedReg sets out technical conservation measures, such as minimum mesh sizes, minimum distances and depths for the use of fishing gears and minimum landing sizes. Many of these will be replaced if the Commission’s proposal for a Regulation on the conservation of fishery resources and the protection of marine ecosystems through technical measures 15 is adopted.
• Consistency with other Union policies
The proposal and its objectives are consistent with other Union policies, especially environmental policies such as those embodied in the Marine Strategy Framework Directive 16 and the objective of ensuring the good environmental status of EU marine waters by 2020.
2. LEGAL BASIS, SUBSIDIARITY AND PROPORTIONALITY
• Legal basis
The legal basis for this proposal is Article 43(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
• Subsidiarity
The proposal relates to the conservation of marine biological resources which falls under exclusive EU competence. Consequently, the subsidiarity principle does not apply.
• Proportionality
The proposed measures comply with the proportionality principle as they are appropriate and necessary and no other less restrictive measures are available to obtain the desired policy objectives.
• Choice of the instrument
The proposed instrument is a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.
3. RESULTS OF EX-POST EVALUATIONS, STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS AND IMPACT ASSESSMENTS
• Ex-post evaluations/fitness checks of existing legislation
Not applicable.
• Stakeholder consultations
Intensive consultation with stakeholders was carried out in 2016 and 2017. The aims were to: (i) raise awareness of the alarming situation of the great majority of fish stocks in the Mediterranean; (ii) agree on the need for urgent action at national, EU and international levels; and (iii) collect input and views from as many stakeholders as possible on the best ways to address the situation.
For the sake of simplicity, we have grouped the consultation activities in three contexts: the Mediterranean Advisory Council, the ‘Catania process’ and the public consultation.
The MEDAC is the most representative fisheries stakeholders’ organisation for the Mediterranean region. It represents all the parties concerned by this initiative: the fisheries sector (including small-scale fisheries), trade unions and other interest groups such as environmental organisations, consumer groups and sports/recreational fishing associations that operate in the Mediterranean area under the CFP.
In 2017, the MEDAC has held four specific meetings on the multi-annual plan with the participation of industry representatives, Member States fisheries administrations, scientific research community, the European Fisheries Control Agency and DG MARE. The work resulted in the adoption of an opinion in November 2017 17 . Most of the elements recommended by MEDAC have been included in this proposal, namely:
–its scope as regards geographical coverage, stocks and fishing gears (including for recreational fisheries);
–the use of fishing opportunities based on effort limits (expressed as days at sea/vessels per day) in accordance with the scientific advice;
–the extension of the bottom towed gears ban from 50 m to an appropriate depth to increase the protection of coastal essential fish habitats;
–the use of spatio-temporal closures to protect spawning and nursery areas;
–updates on the minimum landing sizes of species listed in Annex III of Council Regulation (EC) No 1967/2006.
Two elements (i.e. the introduction of electronic monitoring systems for all vessels subject to the multi-annual plan and the additional support from the EMFF) have not been taken up in the proposal, because cross-cutting legal frameworks were considered more suitable.
The ‘Catania process’
At the February 2016 high-level meeting that marked the start of the Catania process, participants acknowledged the progress made on scientific advice, intergovernmental cooperation via the GFCM and (to a lesser extent) the adoption of management measures for certain fish stocks. On the other hand, it was noted that this had not been translated into an improvement in the status of fish stocks. In the Mediterranean Sea, over 90% of the evaluated commercial fish stocks are exploited well beyond safe biological limits, while the state of many stocks remains unknown. To address this situation, participants called unanimously for a renewed commitment to specific measures to restore Mediterranean fisheries.
This political momentum led the fisheries directors of the eight Mediterranean Member States to meet in June 2016 with a view to going beyond general commitments on paper and ensuring that the EU took concrete action to live up to its responsibilities. They also highlighted priority areas for additional national measures. For the western Mediterranean, France and Spain proposed establishing a joint spatial-temporal closure in the Gulf of Lions to reduce fishing effort and improve selectivity for hake.
The consultation process concluded in March 2017 with the signature of a Ministerial Declaration on the sustainability of Mediterranean fisheries 18 , which lays down a new strategic framework for fisheries governance in the region and a set of five actions with measurable deliverables for the next 10 years. This initiative is part of the action taken at EU level to restore fish stocks at sustainable levels in the western Mediterranean Sea.
DG MARE held an internet-based public consultation on a ‘multi-annual plan for the fisheries exploiting demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean Sea’ between 30 May and 30 September 2016. The overall objective was to gather inputs and views from stakeholders, particularly at the initial design stage.
Respondents were asked to fill in a questionnaire consisting of open- and closed-format questions, of which six related to them and 18 to the biological, technical and socio-economic aspects of demersal fisheries in the western Mediterranean. Topics included the perception of the problem, management options and the scope and content of a possible multi-annual plan.
The main findings were that 19 :
(1)a great majority of respondents agreed that the current management framework (i.e. national management plans under the MedReg) was not sufficient to meet the CFP objectives. Furthermore, 67 % considered that complementing the current framework with short-term measures at national or EU level would not be sufficient to meet the objectives;
(2)most respondents took the view that the current management framework had been poorly implemented in many aspects, and unequally across countries and fishing fleets. Two main factors had contributed to its ineffectiveness: (i) the lack of involvement of stakeholders (including the fishing sector) in designing measures; and (ii) a lack of effective controls;
(3)most respondents regarded an EU multi-annual plan for demersal fisheries in the western Mediterranean as the best long-term solution. This approach was justified by the mixed nature of the fisheries, the number of Member States involved and the interactions between the different gears and types of fisheries;
(4)a great majority supported the inclusion of the following objectives in the multi-annual plan: (i) attaining maximum sustainable yields; (ii) adopting an effective and transparent management framework; (iii) strengthening control, monitoring and surveillance systems; and (iv) ensuring the socio-economic stability of the fishing sector;
(5)the public consultation also looked into the question of identifying alternative measures for Mediterranean demersal fisheries, such as the setting of TACs. This measure was supported by NGOs and some citizens. However, none of the fishermen’s associations or public administrations supported it, citing the complexity of implementing TACs in mixed fisheries;
(6)nearly all respondents supported the combination of an effort regime with technical conservation measures as the best way to manage western Mediterranean demersal fisheries. The measures most widely supported were spatio-temporal closures, technical modifications to improve selectivity, minimum conservation reference sizes and co-management schemes.
• Collection and use of expertise
The scientific and technical aspects of this initiative were addressed primarily by the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF), DG MARE and the European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture (EUMOFA). Two STECF expert working groups met in 2015 and 2016 to produce a biological assessment of the policy options and advice on various aspects of the multi-annual plan. In 2017, the Commission services mapped the stakeholders affected and produced a socio-economic analysis. EUMOFA provided supplementary data on market dynamics in the western Mediterranean.
The assessment of the status of western Mediterranean demersal stocks is based on the most recent work by the STECF and the GFCM’s Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC).
In addition, two studies fed into this initiative:
–a retrospective evaluation of the MedReg 20 was used to review Member States’ implementation of the Regulation and assess the extent to which it was conducive to delivering on the CFP objectives. The Gulf of Lions case study was key to defining the nature of the problem; and
–the STECF thorough analysis of Member States’ management plans 21 , 22 contributed to the definition of the problem, particularly as regards the reasons why the plans were considered insufficient to achieve sustainable fishing levels by 2020.
Additional supporting material was collected through research of scientific publications, technical reports and books.
• Impact assessment
In accordance with the Better Regulation Guidelines, the Commission has prepared an impact assessment gathering and analysing all necessary evidence in support of this initiative. This involved verifying the existence of a problem, outlining the main policy options and examining their potential environmental, social and economic impacts.
Two major problems affect western Mediterranean demersal fisheries. These are the high levels of overfishing and the ineffective regulatory framework. The excessive use of fishing capacity (i.e. too many vessels and too much fishing effort) has been identified as the leading cause of overfishing. At the same time, the current regulatory framework is ineffective because of its limited scope of application, the slow and poor implementation and a lack of stakeholder ownership. These problems have resulted, directly or indirectly, in the alarming state of demersal stocks (i.e. over 80 % of the assessed stocks are overfished and the biomass of some of them is very low, indicating a high probability of collapse), socio-economic implications for the fishermen and fishing sector, and impacts on the marine environment.
The problems described above primarily affect EU fleets from France, Italy and Spain. According to data reported in the EU fisheries data collection framework, around 13 000 vessels could be affected by this initiative 23 . About 76 % are Italian, 15 % are Spanish and 9 % are French. The smallest fleet segments are largely passive gears and longliners (nearly 10 400 vessels catching approx. 1 500 tonnes) and the largest are mostly bottom trawlers (nearly 2 800 vessels catching approx. 13 500 tonnes). The vast majority of fishing firms involved are micro-enterprises (on average, 89 % of the enterprises have only one vessel).
Against this background, three policy options were considered:
–Option 1 ‘no policy change’ or status quo (i.e. the existing regulatory framework would continue to apply) - this is used as a benchmark against which to compare the other options;
–Option 2 ‘amending the current management framework’ - the national management plans would be reviewed to take on board the CFP objectives, mainly through: amendments to their current scope (in terms of fish stocks, fisheries and area covered); new conservation objectives such as maximum sustainable yield; quantifiable targets and timeframes; and new safeguards; and
–Option 3 ‘adopting a multi-annual plan at EU level’ - the aim would be to ensure that EU fishing fleets targeting demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean are covered by a streamlined and integrated regulatory framework at EU level.
Taking into account all the evidence collected and analysed through the impact assessment process, the preferred option is Option 3: a multi-annual plan at EU level. The reasons for this are listed below:
(1)the multi-annual plan would have more positive environmental impacts. In particular, the probability of achieving fishing mortality targets for all stocks would be around 36 %. While this indicator still remains low and far from the MSY objective, it provides better results than Option 1 (0 %) and Option 2 (28 %);
(2)around 70 % of the assessed stocks would recover to spawning stock biomass (SSB) levels above the precautionary reference point (BPA), as compared with 5 % for Option 1 and 72 % for Option 2. The plan would also introduce biomass safeguards requiring pre-defined measures to recover stocks that fall outside safe biological limits, thus also increasing the likelihood of maintaining sustainable biomass levels. In addition, achieving the FMSY objective under Option 2 is inherently riskier than under the plan, for two basic reasons: (i) far more conditions need to be met to deliver an effective management framework (e.g. greater cooperation, harmonisation, coordination among Member States); and (ii) even if the current framework is amended, there is no guarantee that the poor implementation observed until now will end;
(3)while the plan involves greater transitional employment and profitability-related costs as a consequence of fishing effort reductions, socio-economic performance is expected to improve across all fleets by 2025, with only one fleet at financial risk by 2025 (nine fleet segments would be at financial risk in Option 1 and four in Option 2);
(4)compared with the current national management plans, a multi-annual plan would be streamlined (a single regulatory framework), stable (it considers the long-term perspective) and transparent (the three Member States concerned would jointly bring fishing mortalities to sustainable levels);
(5)multi-annual plans are more consistent with the reformed CFP, particularly Article 2, as they are by far the preferred tool for managing the sustainable exploitation of fish stocks.
Lastly, the broad consultation indicated that most stakeholders (public administrations, the fishing sector, NGOs and the general public) consider an EU multi-annual plan as the best option for managing demersal fisheries in the western Mediterranean.
• Regulatory fitness and simplification
While this proposal is not an initiative under the Commission’s regulatory fitness and performance (REFIT) programme, it would introduce a simpler, more stable and more transparent management framework. Simplification could be expected after a transitional period, because the multi-annual plan would replace provisions currently spread across national management plans and ensure consistency between the various management tools used for this fishery.
The proposal would also provide for a clearer system for translating scientific advice into management measures. Scientists would provide their advice on a yearly basis, including as regards effort limits to ensure sustainable fishing levels, and this would then be translated into a yearly Commission proposal in the Fishing Opportunities regulation.
• Fundamental rights
Not applicable.
4. BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS
No
5. OTHER ELEMENTS
• Implementation plans and monitoring, evaluation and reporting arrangements
Monitoring some of the effects of management measures is part of the routine work associated with implementing the CFP. Under EU legislation on data collection, Member States already collect the data that would be required to monitor the socio-economic and environmental impacts of the proposal. The STECF already provides scientific advice on the demersal stocks concerned (i.e. hake, red mullet, blue and red shrimp, deep-water rose shrimp, giant red shrimp and Norway lobster). Impacts on the market will be monitored through the EU Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture products (EUMOFA).
Under Article 10(3) of the CFP Regulation, multi-annual plans shall provide for an initial ex post evaluation and then subsequent evaluations, in particular to take account of changes in scientific advice. The STECF would assess the plan and its impacts five years after its entry into force. The Commission would then report to the European Parliament and Council. An earlier evaluation is not feasible, as there would be a significant time lapse between implementation of the plan and the point at which the data required for evaluation would be available. However, the periodicity of evaluation does not prevent the legislators from amending the plan in response to scientific, political or socio-economic developments.
• Explanatory documents
Not applicable.
• Detailed explanation of the specific provisions of the proposal
The main elements of the plan, in line with the provisions on the principles, objectives and contents of multi-annual plans (Articles 9 and 10 of the CFP Regulation), are as follows:
–scope: the proposal applies to the stocks driving demersal fisheries (i.e. hake, red mullet, deep-water rose shrimp, blue and red shrimp, giant red shrimp and Norway lobster), by-catch stocks and other demersal stocks for which sufficient data are not available. It also applies to commercial and recreational fisheries exploiting those stocks in the western Mediterranean (i.e. GFCM sub-areas 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11);
–objectives: the objectives of the proposal are to contribute to the objectives in Article 2 of the CFP Regulation, in particular achieving maximum sustainable yields, applying the precautionary approach and implementing the ecosystem-based approach. The proposal will also facilitate implementation of the landing obligation;
–quantifiable targets: the proposed fishing mortality targets are FMSY ranges, expressed as spawning stock biomass, which should be achieved by 2020 at the latest. The ranges would allow for MSY-based management of the stocks concerned, while providing some flexibility in the context of mixed fisheries;
–conservation reference points: the proposed conservation reference points, expressed as spawning stock biomass, are in line with scientific advice for the Mediterranean. For each stock, the proposal introduces a limit reference point (or biomass limit, BLIM) at which the stock would be in serious danger of collapse and a precautionary reference point (or biomass precautionary, BPA) as a safety margin;
–safeguards and remedial measures: the proposal introduces safeguard measures to allow a stock to recover in the event of the precautionary or limit reference points being exceeded. These measures could cover a variety of actions, including Member State or Commission emergency measures;
–fishing effort regime: the proposal introduces a fishing effort regime at EU level for all trawls in the areas and vessels length categories in Annex I. Each year, on the basis of the scientific advice, the Council will decide the maximum allowable fishing effort (number of fishing days) for each effort group by Member State. In addition, the proposal provides for a substantial reduction of effort in the first year of implementation, in line with the scientific advice;
–closure areas: as a complementary measure, the proposal sets a spatio-temporal closure prohibiting trawls from operating within the 100 m isobath from 1 May to 31 July each year. This would reserve the coastal zone for more selective gears in order to protect nursery areas and sensitive habitats, and enhance the social sustainability of small-scale fisheries. Given the socio-economic importance and the urgent need to reduce the high fishing mortality for hake, additional closure areas for the protection of spawning individuals of hake are promoted, through regionalisation;
–landing obligation: the proposal provides details as to the long-term implementation of the landing obligation. In particular, it introduces regionalisation provisions as required to extend and/or amend exemptions for species with demonstrated high survival rates and de minimis exemptions;
–regional cooperation: the proposal establishes regional cooperation among Member States with a view to adopting provisions for the landing obligation and specific conservation measures, including technical measures, for certain stocks;
–monitoring and evaluation: the proposal introduces scientific monitoring to assess progress towards maximum sustainable yield for the stocks driving demersal fisheries and, where possible, by-catch stocks. This is essential in the Mediterranean, as it will ensure regular evaluation of the stocks subject to the plan. The plan itself is to be evaluated after five years of implementation.