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G R E N P E A C E
P r e s s R e l e a s e
17.4.94
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Speaking from the UN fisheries conference in New York, campaigners from Greenpeace Canada and the EU called the deal an improvement over the fishing free-for-all that first ignited the clash between Canada and Spanish vessels on the high seas.
Highlights of the EU-Canada agreement include conservation and enforcement measures such as setting limits on the size of fish allowed to be caught; 100 percent observer coverage and stepped up inspections of high seas vessels from the EU and Canada. Both parties would also be encouraged to develop more selective fishing gears to reduce catches of undersized fish and non-target species.
The EU and Canada reiterated their commitment to the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) remaining at 27,000 tons until current scientific assessments of turbot are finished. This could result in a further reduction of the TAC.
"Finally, we have an excellent precedent to move toward better management of fisheries by the European Union," said Helene Bours, Greenpeace European Union fisheries campaigner. "While it's a far cry from the complete overhaul that is needed in the EU, it's certainly a step in the right direction."
Greenpeace noted, however, that by setting minimum fish sizes that are allowed to be kept without making immediate changes to the selectivity of the fishing gear, the plan will force fishermen to increase the discarding and waste of undersized fish. Another downside is that enforcement and control measures in the deal apply only to the high seas and not Canadian waters.
"Enforcement measures appear to have been addressed," said Catherine Stewart of Greenpeace Canada. "But the fundamental principle of a precautionary approach to all fishing effort is noticeably absent."
Despite making some progress, the deal appears to be a piece-meal approach to a short-term solution to the turbot war.
"The deal may resolve this dispute but similar wars over fish stocks will continue to erupt as stocks decline and pressure to fish rises," said Stewart.
"The fish wars are not over, and will not end, without a globally accepted, legally binding U.N. Treaty that ensures a precautionary approach to fishing -- both on the high seas and in national waters," she said.
The precautionary approach would require all states and fishers to take into account the ever-present uncertainty in fishing and limit exploitation of fish stocks according to conservation objectives.
Measures have also been built into the EU-Canada deal to increase transparency between the contracting parties and other NAFO signatory nations, but again environmentalists and fishers have been left completely out of the picture. Greenpeace reiterates that at least part of this crisis is a result of decision-making that does not include the participation of those most interested or directly affected.