EU fisheries reform would 'privatise oceans'

[Judi Lynn]

Source: BBC News

11 May 2011 Last updated at 20:46 ET
EU fisheries reform would 'privatise oceans'
By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News

The European Commission is planning to reform the EU's fishing industry by giving vessels quota shares guaranteed for periods of at least 15 years.

The commission will issue a proposal on reforming the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) in July, to take effect in 2013.

But a draft obtained by BBC News outlines moves that some environmentalists describe as "virtual privatisation of the oceans".

Final decisions on fishing quotas will stay with politicians, not scientists.



Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13361822

[davepc]

1. Don't we do that here in the US already?

The boat has a quota they're allowed to fish and they can buy or lease quotas from other vessels.

[cstanleytech]

3. Quotas are just common sense imo

otherwise we risk overfishing the oceans until there is nothing left and if the oceans are fished out we risk our own lives really.

[alarimer]

6. What they are talking about is giving each person or boat a share of the overall quota.

When they meet it, they are done fishing. Overall quotas have been used forever in fisheries but when a whole lot of boats are scrambling to get as much of the overall quota as they can, it can get very dangerous. Fishing nonstop for days at a time to catch as much as they can before it closes, etc.

[Newest Reality]

2. Oh, why not?

This is where we are at now, ey?

Privatize everything. That is the "ownership society". Their will be owners and the owned, and nothing else, in the long-run. Neo-Serfdom is the logical outcome. You work and work to make enough for yourself and the larger part of what you produce goes to the Lord of the land. In essence, you pay to be where you are and pay to work for the Lord. We are getting closer to that reality and like, "you are lucky to have a job", (no matter how bad the conditions and pay are) it might turn out that people will be thankful for this exchange if we allow it to keep going there.

We are already living along those lines as corporatism dominates our government, information, and the products we use and need. The pesky idea of representational government and commons is on the brink of dissolution on the horizon of obsolescence. By distraction, apathy and divisive issues, we are voting for the outcome.

I will say, adamantly, if we do not come together to garner a mutual will to throw-off the corporatism that is the real terrorism in its relation to our essential safety and security as free and valued beings on this planet, then we are not going to see much of anything uplifting or hopeful or of value in our futures. We are on the cusp of a dire need for change that, hopefully, will become so self-evident that the process will emerge organically in a way that corresponds to the most imminent and certain threat before us all.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. Bravo.

:applause:

[davepc]

9. So you're against each registered vessel having a specific quota and are for 'free-for-all' fishing

Where the quota is fleet wide, and the first boat(s) in to port is the one who gets paid the most for their catch?

From you post I can't tell what style of fisheries management you'd prefer.

[Newest Reality]

11. I have no boat,

and my preferences tend to get in the way these days.

Glad you can tell though. Does that response represent your map reading mine? Is there any territory?

[marasinghe]

12. sadly, you are one of a very few voices & you're yelling into an ocean gale.

apart from the technology, i see we're back in the old buccaneering days; right on time for the new "Pirates ...." movie.

[alarimer]

5. Quota shares are a good idea

Depending on how they are applied of course.

Having a set share of the catch reduces the derby nature of many fisheries and makes it a whole lot safer for the crews. Instead of scrambling to be the first in to port to ensure they get the highest price (the more fish the wholesalers have on hand, the less they pay subsequent boats for their catches). Now, processors and wholesalers HATE individual catch shares, because it usually results in higher prices to the fishermen.

But with individual quotas you also have to ensure that no one entity can buy up a significant number of the shares and create a monopoly or near-monopoly. These individual quotas are also better for the scientist; with one overall quota, the fleet almost always catches more than the quota.

[Confusious]

7. They did that in Alaska

I can't remember which it was, but I think it was the crab season that was a week one year. Or was it the salmon season?

[davepc]

8. Crab season. Last year of derby style was 2005.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

10. Lets say you live in a little fishing town on the Southern Oregon

Coast, only 1200 people live here, about a third make their living connected to fishing, all the boats are 35 foot or smaller and all the boats are stored on top of the dock and hoisted in and out of the water to fish.

The fishermen hold over half of the permits issued by the state of Oregon for ground-fish (rock fish), all of these fish are caught sustainable on hook and line, in fact one third of them are caught one at a time on rod and reel, brought in live, shipped live, and sold in San Francisco still alive, a very high quality product. Crab is also caught here, it too is shipped live.

But the point here is fishing quotas, these quotas will be issued to larger boats not fishing out of here and our fishermen will be hurt, these boats are dragger boats, dragging gear across and tearing up the bottom and in the process taking a lot of by-catch that is thrown back to die.

This is what corporate fishing looks like folks.

Don't be fooled by easy solutions, there isn't any, we need to fish smarter.

Want to see where this town is? Google POORT for the web page and be sure to watch the video at the bottom of the page.

Port Orford Ocean Resource Team won the NOAA award for best NGO in 2010.

[dipsydoodle]

14. In the UK fish caught with rod and line are exempt from quotas.

Cod and haddock etc caught in that way are clearly labelled as being so in our supermarkets.

[dipsydoodle]

13. 'privatise oceans'

is an odd way of expressing the situation. Seems to me to be a manageable way of protecting fish stocks. The main culprits here are the Spanish plundering the North Sea.