Fisheries management: EU Fleet policy/decommissioning
EU Fleet policy
As part of the review of the Common Fisheries Policy in 2003 by the European Commission and Member States, agreed an Entry:Exit regime. The aim of the regime is to limit the level of entries to the fishing fleet to ensure that they are matched by fleet exits where appropriate, so that the EU fishing fleet does not increase its capacity. The EU Entry:Exit regime is very similar to the existing licensing regime in the UK, which prevents the creation of new fishing capacity as any new vessel must obtain a licence to fish, from existing vessels.
Decommissioning
In 2006 Defra consulted on proposals to run a decommissioning scheme for over 10 metre beam trawlers affected by a possible Western Channel (Area V11e) sole recovery plan. The objectives of the scheme were to withdraw some capacity and effort from the V11e sole fishery to help secure a sustainable future, and to allow vessel owners to make business decisions about whether to remain in the fishery on the basis of a long-term view of prospects for the fishery under the terms of the recovery plan.
Owners of eight large beam trawlers in the South West accepted financial investment for fisheries guidance (FIFG) grants to break up and decommission their fishing boats. This will benefit the long-term management plan for Western Channel sole by reducing capacity in the fleet by 17%. Vessel owners had to break up their boats and claim the grant from MFA by mid November 2007.
Page last modified: 14 December 2007
Page published: 14 December 2007