Greater freedom to bank and borrow quota and more funding made available for purchasing selective fishing gear through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) are included among new measures announced by U.K. Fisheries Minister George Eustice to help fishermen prepare for the EU discard ban and to ensure that it doesn’t impact negatively on their businesses.
The demersal discard ban, which comes into effect from January 2016 for fishermen targeting species such as haddock, sole and plaice, follows the introduction of the pelagic ban in January this year.
A complete ban on the discarding of all quota species will be in place by 2019.
“If we want a profitable fishing industry and thriving coastal communities in the future it is vital that we fish sustainably today. That is why the reforms we have secured to the Common Fisheries Policy, which will put an end to the shameful practice of throwing perfectly good fish overboard, are so important,” said Eustice.
“It is essential that we ban the practice of discarding fish, but we are also committed to introducing new flexibilities to help fishermen manage their quotas and will be giving more quota to the under 10 meter fleet.”
While exemptions secured on behalf of the U.K. fleet are based on scientific evidence, the gradual introduction of the ban in phases will allow the government to monitor its progress and the impact on fishermen, helping to avoid disproportionate costs and to adapt to the industry’s needs, said the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
Crucially, fishermen can also expect to receive increased quotas from the European Commission to take account of the fact they will not be throwing away fish.
In line with a manifesto commitment to support smaller fishing communities, the government will be allocating the first 100 metric tons (MT) of any additional quota received, and 10 percent of anything more it receives on top of this 100 MT to the English inshore fleet.
