BRUSSELS, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union (EU), here on Wednesday proposed a multi-annual plan for demersal fish stocks in the North Sea, aiming to ensure that stocks are fished at sustainable levels.
According to a Commission press release, the proposal requires the EU to set catch limits that restore and maintain fish stocks above levels that can produce the Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY).
The plan defines ranges within which catch limits can be set. Fishing opportunities in the higher part of the ranges will only be possible under clearly defined conditions and in line with the MSY approach.
The plan also obliges the EU to take swift action when the sustainability of any demersal North Sea fish stock is threatened.
The newly proposed North Sea plan is the first comprehensive plan for this sea basin. The fisheries of the North Sea are highly complex, involving vessels from at least seven coastal EU Member States, as well as Norway.
Vessels use a variety of fishing equipment and their catches consist of a mix of different species, such as cod and haddock, or plaice and sole. The proposal established a management plan that takes into account these mixed-fisheries interactions.
This proposal will replace the current cod recovery plan as well as the plan for plaice and sole.
Certain decision-making powers will shift to the relevant national and regional authorities, bringing decision-making closer to the fishermen through the so-called regionalization process.
The proposal is now submitted for discussion to the European Parliament and the Council of the EU.
The European Commission represents the interests of the EU as a whole. It proposes new legislation to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, and it ensures that EU law is correctly applied by member countries.
