Fishery policies in Europe

Recommendation 570 (1969)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 2 October 1969 (14th Sitting) (see Doc. 2563, report of the Committee on Agriculture). Text adopted by the Assembly on 2 October 1969 (14th Sitting).

The Assembly,

1. Recalling its interest in European fishery problems reflected in its Recommendation 198 (1959), and subsequent Resolutions 200 (1961) and 263 (1963) ;

2. Reaffirming its support expressed in these texts for the endeavours undertaken by other international organisations to offer solutions to the problems facing European fisheries and to encourage expansion of trade in fishery products ;

3. Noting with satisfaction that the enquiry on European fishery policies carried out by the Committee on Agriculture by means of a questionnaire addressed to member governments had met with full and informative replies ;

4. Thanking member governments for their valuable co-operation in this matter ;

5. Noting that the present report by the committee, on the basis of the replies received to its questionnaire, deals mainly with social aspects of the fishing industry, and that a more general report on fishery policies in Europe will follow in due course ;

6. Deploring the depletion of certain fish stocks recorded by FAO, ICES [(1) International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.], ICNAF [(2) International Commission for the North-West Atlantic Fisheries.] and NEAFC [(3) North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission.] in their scientific investigations, and the consequent threat to the future of the fishing industry in Europe ;

7. Having regard to the conclusions reached by FAO that this depletion is due largely to insufficient scientific knowledge of techniques of finding and catching fish prevalent among a large number of European fishermen, leading to wasteful over-fishing, particularly of young fish ;

8. Noting that improved training facilities for fishermen would not only benefit the future of European fisheries, but facilitate the implementation of FAO development projects at present impeded through lack of available fishing technologists as well as facilities for training students from less-developed countries themselves ;

9. Deploring the indiscriminate fishing practices and disregard of regulations laid down in international conventions and recommendations with regard both to fishing techniques and their application, and to the delimitation of fishing grounds, particularly in coastal waters where certain areas are reserved as fish-breeding grounds ;

10. Having regard to the exceptional conditions endured by fishermen in the exercise of their profession, which, on average, are far more exacting than working conditions obtaining in shorebased industries ;

11. Noting with satisfaction the special provisions made by certain governments in the form of preferential pension schemes and guaranteed minimum wages, to compensate for these conditions ;

12. Stressing its concern at the high accident rate recorded in the fishing industry, and welcoming the "Draft Code of Safety for Fishermen and Fishing Vessels" devised by ILO, FAO and IMCO,

13. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers invite member governments :

13.1 to improve facilities for vocational training for fishermen and encourage scientific research, in order to prevent wasteful fishing on the part of European fishing fleets ;

13.2 in so doing, to bear in mind the needs of the developing countries for training facilities in Europe on the one hand, and the necessity for a sufficient number of European fishing technologists to implement development projects (e.g. through FAO) in those countries, on the other ;

13.3 to enforce respect of existing international conventions regulating fishing practices and fishing grounds, and, if need be, to complement these conventions by stricter regulations ;

13.4 to provide compensation for the exceptional nature of working conditions in the fishing profession in the form of :

a a sufficient guaranteed minimum wage in cases where this system of payment is applied ;

b a stand-by emergency intervention for fishermen working under the share system ;

c special pension schemes permitting retirement at an earlier age than that at which pension rights are normally acquired ;

13.5 to ensure widespread and effective application of the "Code of Safety for Fishermen and Fishing Vessels" drafted by ILO, FAO and IMCO as a minimum requirement for European fishing fleets.