MEP pursues key fishing issues with President of Fisheries Council
26 January 2007
At a meeting of the European Parliament's Fisheries Committee, DUP MEP Jim Allister has pressed German Fisheries Minister, Horst Seehofer, in his capacity as current President of the Council of Fisheries Ministers, on two issues of importance to the Northern Ireland sector.
First, Mr Allister raised his belief that reduced cod stocks has more to do with climate change than over-fishing, as cod move north to colder waters. The Minister announced that in MAy 2007 he is hosting a Conference in Hamburg to look at the impact of climate change on fishing. Mr Allister welcomed an assurance from the Minister that he would approach the matter with an open mind and stressed to Herr Seehofer the folly of EU ever reducing quota allowances and permitted days at sea if the cause of stock reduction, as many in the sector contend, is climatic rather than fishing-related. Mr Allister said, "I trust that at last the EU will take a serious look at this issue and challenge dubious science which has dominated their thinking for years."
Secondly, the Ulster MEP raised the negative impact on European eel stocks of the harvesting and export of elvers to the Far East. Eels spawn in the Sargasso Sea and the elvers then return to Western Europe, including Lough Neagh, to mature. However, a lucrative trade in elvers is causing disruption of the natural cycle of replenishment, as greedy commercial interest harvest the returning elvers and sell them to China and Japan. In consequence eel stocks in Lough Neagh have radically fallen. The Minister promised to examine the issue and see what steps could be taken. "Clearly", said Mr Allister, "a co-ordinated effort with the Trade Commissioner will be necessary to address this problem, but if it is not faced up to then the European eel industry will continue to be the loser."
