Joe Borg has already shown how a man from a small island, Malta, is particularly sensitive to what the sea can do to small coastal fishing communities. At the international Tsunami Rehabilitation conference at FAO he said Brussel's "efforts will clearly be aimed at making a contribution to restore the livelihood of those fishermen affected". He welcomed the emergency work done by FAO and said the aim now was "assisting the affected countries to identify their rehabilitation targets in the medium and long term." At the top of his wish list was "the need to put the welfare, both social and economic, of fishing-dependent communities first." This is a man who trained as lawyer and he did not mince his words when he cracked down on opportunists. "It is with some concern that we have heard echoes that would point to some seeing this catastrophe as an opportunity to address overfishing in the region. I find this a purely technocratic, and therefore short-sighted, approach.
This former Maltese foreign minister, ex-chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and member of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group does not just know where poor developing countries are on the map. He knows them and is committed to helping them work their way out of poverty and to get fair international deals.
Stock sustainability is of course crucial, he said, but "here we face a situation," he told the FAO gathering "where thousands of fishermen have lost their lives and thousands of thousands more have been deprived of every tool of their trade. Many live now in terror of the ocean and need help to resume their activities in safety as soon as possible. No effort should be spared in their regard. Particularly not at this initial phase of the rehabilitation process." He said the way rehab was done should be through the eyes and hands of the affected countries, based on their decisions and with them "in full control ".
It is known that there will be cutbacks affecting help for joint ventures between European and third world countries from 2006. But Borg has already made clear that there would be post-Tsunami financial and technical support. Further he has declared he will set up a legal framework within the European Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance to allow the transfer of Community vessels to the countries affected by the tsunami. He already has clearance from the European Parliament and EU Council of fisheries ministers to allow EU member states to transfer small scale, well-adapted vessels, to the affected areas.
The next thing which struck me was I could hear a twang of Welsh in his English, or was it a touch of Mancunian, just an hour's drive from mount Snowdon in North Wales. I discover that he did his MA in European law at the University College of Wales (its Bangor site is renowned for agriculture and oceanic research). Then there was a spell in Manchester University Business School on the International Teachers' Programme. On returning to Malta, to lecture at the university, it was no surprise to find him called in by various powers to focus on how small countries, such as Malta, could prepare for EU membership. Remember, that for quite a time EU membership was a very hot political lobster in Malta with people trying to escape pincers on both sides of the argument.
The new boy sharing the bridge
He was clearly well settled in and said that experience to date confirmed that the fishing industry "is very well organised both at a national and international level. I have met with directors at European level and from national organisations during my visits to member states. I found them both very well prepared and also close to the sector they represent. So, for example, fisheries organisations are very close to the fishermen, as well as processing organisations to processors and so on. There is also good dialogue between the commission services and representatives of the different organisations from the sector.
That's a good start, but I wanted to know how he felt about the worries haunting fishermen everywhere and optimism being in short supply.
He does not think the picture is all black.
"It depends on the aspects you look at…from the point of view of the hard decisions taken during the reform of the new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), then, they would have preferred us taking less tough decisions. But I think there is a need for such decisions and the industry do increasingly understand this need. If stocks are not in good shape, if a stock is overfished, then measures have to be taken unless we want to end up in a situation where there is no fish.
"These measures are established in order to obtain sustainability and this requires tough measures like reduction of fishing and the possibility of closing areas. Obviously fishermen will not be extremely happy. They do not necessarily [have to be] supportive but once they understand (that is why it is important to have dialogue) that [there is a] need, I think they end up accepting the measures. In agriculture you can intensify your production and sell more at more competitive prices but fish is a limited resource that has to be efficiently managed to avoid the depletion of stocks," he added.
But, World Fishing pointed out, it was precisely because fishermen felt the CFP was “complex, remote, centralised and bureaucratic…” that they worry whether they can overcome these problems. Or is preservation of national self-interest, not the fish, always going to be the driving force?
"I agree with some of this criticism," the lawyer responded. "It is said to be complex and we are trying to simplify it but it is not easy because fish, being a technical subject, very much depends on scientists' data and variations [in that]scientific data. But we are looking at all the legislation and regulations and trying to bring them all together under one umbrella, and making the rules more uniform. Secondly, we will withdraw measures that will no longer be needed. Of course, regulations will not be substantially changed, but the change will make them more readable and understandable.
Consultation vs remote diktats
"Regarding the accusation of being remote -- decisions are taken in Brussels, but always after dialogue and consultation with member states. Increasingly, the Commission holds consultations with representatives of the sector, so the element of remoteness is less and less true. There is more interaction with representatives of the fishermen."
So what about the effectiveness and teeth of the new Regional Advisory Councils (RACs)?
"Well…. ‘The world was not made in one day…’ A few years back there were no such mechanisms. Now we are introducing the RACs and the North Sea Regional Council is already working. By the end of this year, we hope to have the rest also working," he said. He said that there was nothing before and now the RACs will be taking more effective decisions as time progresses. Through a process of evolution, "We need to see first what will work, and work well, and then give them more responsibilities."
The first aim was to give them the means with which to provide the Commission with proper advice. He said the Commission could ignore that advice -- in theory. "But in practice, if the advice is balanced, and the fruit of compromise between all stakeholders, it will be impossible for the EC to ignore them as it is in the interest of the Commission that the RACs are successful. If the advice is one-sided, dominated by one sector, we should ignore it. However, we are still in the initial stages. If they work well, then certainly the Commission will act according to the advice they give and I will not rule out an increase in their responsibilities," he said.
World Fishing pointed out that, for many consumers, the picture portrayed was that EU waters were "dead", so RACs without fish could be going nowhere fast.
"No! Certainly not! But, there are problems in most of the EU's waters…the North Sea, the Baltic, the Channel, the Bay of Biscay, in the Mediterranean….The delicate state of the fish stock is scientifically proven and fishermen themselves know this. But I think the measures taken over the last years have started to show positive results. Therefore, if we keep on this way, the time will come when the state of fish stocks will improve considerably and we will be able to take less painful measures and even improve fishing possibilities. That will be beneficial for the fishermen. We are not taking these measures [just] for the sake of the fish. The situation is not great but [it is] far from saying that waters are dead."
He said there have to be practical elements in how the future is grown and he spelt these out as follows. "First, sustainability -- in both the social and economic dimensions. Then, more involvement of the sector in the decision-making process. This could be achieved by the RACs. Thirdly, reducing bycatch and tackling the problem of discards. This can be done by improving our scientific knowledge," he said "and by getting more involved in R&D for more selective gear."
Less fish, more local value
He believes the shortage of EU fish means other measures are needed to maintain an adequate financial return. First, "Quality," he said, "and we need to invest more in research and analysis on how to get a higher quality product for the final consumer. We need to guarantee to the consumer than he/she is eating quality fish so [they] will be willing to pay a better price for it. Secondly, there is aquaculture. There is a potential for growth in this field but we need to be careful not to create more pressures on the environment…[respecting] environmental considerations -- otherwise you solve one problem but create a new one." The other focus is on more value on the processing front: "By increasing the production of added value and ready-to-eat products [whether] from EU or imported fish."
Some say lower discards and better quality fish catch and processing is a valuable result of local management and that also raises the question of 'whether each EU fishing nation might one day manage its own waters again?"
He does not see that happening in this enlarged EU, which Malta, for one, has only recently joined. "Even though in certain quarters some voices have risen for a move like this, I would say that the prevailing view, by far, is that [by] moving in that direction would make the situation of the European fishing industry worse. Speaking of Common waters [means] you need a Common Policy, if you leave each nation to regulate its part, it will create much more problems than solve. By doing so, you end up with a Babylonia of positions. I think that this argument of nationalising has more to do with domestic political considerations. In reality, one will come to the conclusion that it makes more sense to have a Common Policy rather that having 25 different policies regarding fisheries.
So if national management was not on the agenda, World Fishing pressed him on whether models from elsewhere had a role in Europe, e.g. from New Zealand and Iceland, where success does not depend on subsidies
"First of all, you cannot just translate their examples into Europe. Both are very small countries in terms of population compared with Europe, so their fisheries are much easier to manage. Of course, we can look at their systems, see what is working well and how it can be adapted to the EU fisheries. Regarding subsidies, this is a bigger problem, even with the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The system tends [now]to move further away from state subsidies. We need to accept the fact that subsidies will increasingly become more of a problem under the WTO rules."
Global at the grassroots
I was interested to pursue what the global means at the local level, for small countries and communities and had seen what the commissioner had said at a recent conference “Working Together Towards a Sustainable Fisheries Sector in South West England”. Ever the diplomat, Borg prefaced his remarks. to what was a "local" audience by saying he was there "rather as an outsider…[and] the choices to be made concerning the future of the fisheries sector in this region are not really the Commission’s business… But there are several reasons why [the] Community framework is relevant to and may affect your development strategy," he added. He said the first challenge was sustainable fisheries management, and reducing fishing pressure on fish stocks; the second was the new opportunities under the CFP for a more decentralised approach to fisheries management, in which all stakeholders can participate; and the third was the possibility of Community financial support for both sustainable fishing and coastal zone development under the proposed European Fisheries Fund, now under discussion in the European Parliament and Council.
"There are now real opportunities for a more constructive and collaborative dialogue between fisheries managers and stakeholders under the CFP… All parties concerned want a more open debate about management options, more “grass-roots” support for conservation measures and fewer surprises or sudden changes." Changing the way decisions were made would not make them any easier, and hard choices lay ahead before reaching sustainable fishing and economic security. "And if we duck those hard choices then our fisheries simply won’t develop.
But his words about caution on scientific data will be welcomed by the industry and he said
"The Commission accepts that this process of cutting back on fishing to replenish stocks may have to be more gradual than the immediate, one-step correction that the scientists prefer. We cannot ask the fishing industry to accept very large annual reductions in fishing except in the most critical cases, as we had to in the case of North Sea cod. But “gradualism” and “realism” does not mean that the basic direction of our policy can change. Bringing fishing mortality down to levels that are sustainable over the long-term remains our number one priority." That said, he made clear he would not hesitate where a clear decision was needed for a reduction, e.g. for plaice and sole in the Channel or in the Celtic Sea -- "And that is in the interests of all fishermen concerned," he added. Even with the RACs he was happy so that the Commission had been trying to encourage fisheries-sector-led initiatives to improve conservation. "While a move from 80mm to 90mm will only have a marginal effect on sole conservation, and would have to be accompanied by other measures, we welcome this initiative and may decide to incorporate it into the recovery plan for Western Channel sole,…" he said. What he was after was stakeholders offering "practical and workable ways" to get results. That was also why the Commission has begun to tailor aid to the needs of sustainable fishing, such as "aid to promote more environmentally-friendly fishing methods, including the experimental use of more selective fishing gear and the first purchase of more selective fishing gear that goes beyond current legal requirements.
Money would also "co-fund local strategies for achieving the sustainable development of coastal fishing areas. The local strategies should aim at facilitating the economic restructuring of small coastal fishing areas and fishing communities… reducing the adverse economic impacts of more sustainable fishing. Aid will be available not only to those directly employed in the sector but also to persons engaged in fisheries-related activities," the commissioner stressed.
These efforts would be implemented through Coastal Action Groups (CAGs), to be selected through open and transparent procedures (call for proposals) and should include all interested partners and stakeholders, with projects ranging from "green tourism”, to improving professional skills, working conditions and the promotion of the equal opportunities, he said.
World fishing believes this is a critical area and asked him to elaborate. "One has to take into account that in fisheries certain sectors are extremely vulnerable: coastal communities, individual fishermen. There is a social dimension that we need to take into consideration. …But there is a need for controlling the aid. We need to target the individual fishermen rather than give just a blank cheque to all -- [not to] those who do not really need the assistance. We need to maintain the existence of small coastal communities. We need to have them." And his final remark indicates that fishermen and commissioner see a common future over the horizon when he said "I see scope for continuing assistance in this regard and for motivating younger people to join fisheries."
The fishing community has not died of old age yet.
