New EU rules could bankrupt fishermen

EU RULES coming into effect tomorrow could have a “devastating” impact on the UK fishing industry, a parliamentary committee has heard.

The “landing obligation” requires boats to bring to shore fish caught in excess of their quota, which they would previously have discarded at sea.

After a four-year phasing-in period, it comes into effect in full tomorrow, with the aim of conserving stocks by encouraging fishermen to be more selective about what they catch.

But the legislation has been called “badly designed” by UK industry organisations, which say it will force British boats to moor up in harbour for long stretches after reaching quotas.

The House of Lords EU energy and environment sub-committee heard evidence that the rule could mean fishermen hit their annual quotas much earlier in the year, with an estimated £165 million worth of fish remaining uncaught in 2019 as a result.

Lord Krebs, a committee member, said: “It is obvious that the UK Government does not have the resources in place to monitor compliance.

“Nor have they used the opportunity of the phased introduction to make the changes to quota allocations or promoted the use of selective fishing practices that might alleviate some of the risk to fishers’ livelihoods.”

“January 1 should be the start of a new era of more sustainable, less wasteful fishing, but most people we spoke to thought nothing would change – fishers will continue to discard, knowing the chances of being caught are slim to none, and that to comply with the law could bankrupt them.”

Barrie Deas, the chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, said the legislation was “badly designed, particularly in giving rise to ‘chokes’”.

“Chokes” are when fishermen reach their quota for a particular species, and will be forced to choose between halting operations for the rest of the year or breaking the law by continuing to fish for other species and discarding anything over quota.

The committee is due to publish its report on the implementation and enforcement of the EU landing obligation in February.

A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “The Government remains fully committed to sustainable fishing, including ending the wasteful discarding of fish. We are aware of the challenges posed to industry by the landing obligation, and will continue to work with industry to address this issue.”