European Commission - Let's Just Keep On Fishing For Cod - Closure Blocked

[hatrack]

BRUSSELS - "The European Commission abandoned plans on Tuesday to close off fishing areas in 2005 for severely depleted species such as cod, in the face of bitter opposition from EU governments such as Britain and France.

In a bid to secure a deal over how much fish EU countries will be allowed to catch next year, while giving chronically low stocks a chance to recover, the EU's executive had wanted to ban cod fishing in several areas, mainly in the North Sea. Instead of this idea -- fiercely attacked by Britain whose Scottish fisheries would have been badly hit -- the Commission wants to cut two days from the monthly allowance for vessels to catch cod, and toughen inspections to clamp down on overfishing.

"The Dutch (EU) presidency seems to have concluded that closing areas is dead in the water," one EU diplomat said. "The British still find the compromise unacceptable ... they may have bought the French off but not necessarily the Spanish, yet."

The Commission had also wanted to close off a prized area in the Bay of Biscay for fishing anchovy, as well as a 85 percent cut in its 2005 quota -- angering France and Spain. Now, there will be no closure and only a 10 percent quota cut from 2004."

EDIT

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/28664/story.htm