Allister wins concessions for eel fishery
04 October 2005
In a series of important votes in the Fisheries Committee of the European Parliament this morning in Brussels, DUP MEP JIM ALLISTER won key votes on amendments he had tabled to a report on eel fishing. In consequence the Committee now accepts a stance which restricts Commission action to reduce fishing effort to circumstances where historic and scientific data supports same and where no credible self-regulation exists.
In a statement afterwards Mr Allister said:-
"I greatly welcome the fact that I have been successful in persuading the majority of members of the Fisheries Committee to accept key amendments on the Parliament's report on eel fishing, which are specifically designed to better protect Northern Ireland's wild eel fishery.
In particular amendments have been accepted which
- require historic and scientific data, along with credible self-regulation, to be taken into account before limits on fishing effort can be considered.
- ensures that eel farming is not so extensive as to disturb the viability of wild eel fisheries, either by depriving them of glass eels which naturally replenish stocks or by failing to ensure escapement of mature silver eels for natural spawning.
These are important advances on behalf of our local 5M pound pa industry and provide some degree of protection against unilateral and uninhibited Brussels interference, which was a distinct threat to the future and viability of our industry. If the industry can demonstrate credible self-regulation then it should be better protected than was otherwise intended.
The battle now will move to ensuring the Commission accepts the constraints imposed by the Fisheries Committee."
