European parliament gets behind sanction delay for discard ban

EU fishermen will be given two years to comply with a new fish landing obligation — widely referred to as the “discard ban” — before they face punishment, under a legislative proposal supported by European Parliament.

The draft law, already informally agreed by MEPs and ministers, amends the omnibus regulation on arrangements for enforcing the ban. It was approved by a 573-to-96 vote, with 21 abstentions.

As well as the two-year delay before sanctions take effect, key changes to the original proposal also require the European Commission to draft an annual report on implementation of the requirement to land unwanted catches. Furthermore, the draft law provides for a mechanism to prevent the development of a parallel market for non-marketable catches.

"The new rules oblige fishermen to land all fish caught during a fishing trip. It will be extremely difficult to implement, especially for multi-species and artisanal fisheries. Our common concern is to preserve fisheries resources while maintaining a viable economy. The agreement we have found helps mitigate some of the negative effects of the new rules for fishermen,” said rapporteur and Fisheries Committee chair Alain Cadec.

The EU Council of Ministers must now formally approve the draft law, after which it will be published in the EU Official Journal and then enter into force.

The discard ban has been in force for pelagic species since 1 January 2015. It is being implemented gradually between now and 2019.

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