Annual TACs and quotas

Member’s Post ::

Fishing rules and quotas for 2010 will be decided over the next few months.

It would appear there is little chance of the EC budging over plans to cut days-at-sea by a further 10% so this year we can expect some heavy duty posturing by fisheries ministers as they seek to explain how their country is ‘special’ and should be exempt any reductions.

Whilst it is easy to understand that effort restrictions combined with low fish prices as a result of the recession make it very tough for commercial fishermen, the sector is no different than any other commercial activity, it needs to wound down until it can become profitable or closed altogether.

Taxpayers should no longer have to subsidise the destruction of fish stocks in order to keep an inefficient industry in operation – next year some radical steps need to be taken to change fisheries management as stark choices will need to be made.

The last thing we should expect to hear is any real concern for the state of the fish stocks themselves.

Category: SSACN Announcements