THE EU’s plan for the mandatory privatisation of fish quotas across Europe has been criticised by Minister for the Marine Simon Coveney, who warned that this could allow international companies to take over family-owned fishing fleets.
The proposal is one of a number published yesterday by the EU maritime and fisheries commissioner Maria Damanaki as a blueprint for reform of the controversial Common Fisheries Policy from 2013.
Mandatory privatisation would see national fish quotas allocated in Brussels but then sold off to the highest bidder. It could lead to a situation where a country might lose all control of the fish stocks within its own waters.
The Federation of Irish Fishermen warns that quota privatisation would “benefit those with the most capital”. The federation, representing three industry groupings, is disappointed at the European Commission’s failure to include proposals to protect the biologically sensitive area off the west coast known as the “Irish Box”.
Mr Coveney welcomed the opportunity to revise the fisheries policy, favouring many of the proposals outlined by Ms Maria Damanaki. However, he was “very disappointed” that Ms Damanaki had decided to “impose this scheme of mandatory privatisation of quotas on member states”.
The measure, which would provide for transferable quotas from no later than December 31st, 2013, stipulates that a member state must give a minimum of 15 years’ advance notice if it wished to recall quotas for reallocation.
“I have no doubt that this would lead to concentration of fishing into the hands of large fishing international companies without links to the coastal communities and these very large fishing vessels, in some cases factory ships, would no longer land into Ireland resulting in loss of jobs, closure of fish-processing factories and economic activity in our coastal communities,” Mr Coveney said.
He intended to work “vigorously” with the Irish industry over the coming months to highlight the “real and substantial damage this policy would have on [coastal] jobs and economic activity”.
His stance was supported by the Pew Environment Group non-governmental organisation, which has been running the Ocean 2012 initiative.
While the commission’s proposals could help towards the recovery of European fish stocks, the “quasi-privatisation” of fish resources had a mixed track record where it had been tried, said Uta Bellion, director of the Pew group’s European marine programme and Ocean 2012 co-ordinator.