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Doc. 9657
16 January 2003
Fisheries in Europe’s semi-land-locked seas
Recommendation 1558 (2002)
Reply from the Committee of Ministers
adopted at the 823rd meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies (9 January 2003)
1. The Committee of Ministers has examined with interest Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1558 (2002) on fisheries in Europe’s semi-land-locked seas.
2. The Committee has transmitted the text to the governments of its member states, and, on advice from its Steering Committee for Biological and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP), whose opinion is appended to the present reply, to the European Commission and to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation for information.
3. The Committee has also asked the Steering Committee to take the recommendation into account when it discusses its future programme of activities in the framework of the Bern Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats, the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy and the Pan-European Ecological Network.
4. The Council of Europe Bern Convention protects the endangered marine and freshwater species. In this context, the Council of Europe is responsible for the implementation of the Action Themes 2 and 5 of the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy, which, respectively, concern the integration of biological considerations into economic sectors (agriculture, transport, tourism, fisheries, etc.) and coastal and marine ecosystems.
5. A “Model Law on sustainable management of coastal areas” and a “European Code of Conduct for coastal zones” were adopted by the Committee of Ministers in 1999. A “Colloquy on marine and coastal ecological corridors” (Wales, 20-21 June 2002) was held in the framework of the activities for the establishment of the Pan-European Ecological Network.
6. Significant work on the impact of fishing on non-target species is being carried out by the regional Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic area and by the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic and North Seas.
7. The Committee of Ministers notes that the current process of reforming the European Union Fisheries Policy presents a major opportunity to integrate better environmental protection requirements into principles, objectives and operational procedures of fisheries management.
Appendix
Opinion of the Committee responsible for the activities of the Council of Europe
in the field of Biological and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP) on Recommendation 1558 (2002)
of the Parliamentary Assembly: “Fisheries in Europe’s semi-land-locked seas”
In response to the ad hoc terms of reference given by the Committee of Ministers (Decision n° CM/842/15052002), the Committee, following examination of Recommendation 1558 (2002) of the Parliamentary Assembly, issues the following opinion.
The CO-DBP:
Welcomes the concern of the Parliamentary Assembly on the conservation of fish populations and their habitats in semi-land-locked seas, taking into account that they are more and more the object of excessive human pressure due to over-fishing and pollution, which can jeopardise these resources;
Recalls that endangered marine and freshwater fishes, turtles, molluscs, crustaceans and marine mammals are protected by the Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats (Bern Convention), which also prohibits the use of all means capable of causing local disappearance of, or serious disturbance to, populations of a species;
Recalls that Action Theme No. 5 of the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy, approved by the Ministers of the Environment in 1995, concerns "Coastal and Marine Ecosystems";
Recalls that Action Theme No. 2 of the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy concerns the integration of biological consideration into economic sectors (agriculture, transport, tourism, fisheries, etc.);
Recalls that in 1999 a “Model Law on sustainable management of coastal areas and a European Code of Conduct for coastal zones” were adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe;
Recalls that a “Colloquy on marine and coastal ecological corridors” (Wales, 20-21 June 2002) was organised in the framework of the activities for the establishment of the Pan-European Ecological Network;
Recalls the important work on the impact of fishing on non-target species carried out by the regional Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic area (ACCOBAMS) and the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic and North Seas (ASCOBANS);
Recalls that the harbour porpoise population in the Baltic Sea is under severe pressure and needs immediate recovery measure as recommended in the “Recovery plan for harbour porpoises in the Baltic” developed by ASCOBAMS.
In conclusion, the CO-DBP:
i) Considers that the recommendation is in line with what is requested by global and regional legal instruments and political declarations for the sustainable exploitation of living marine resources and the prevention of destruction of the marine habitat;
ii) Suggests that Recommendation 1558 (2002) be transmitted to member states of the Council of Europe and also to the European Community for due consideration, respectively, in their national policies and in the EC Common Fisheries Policy;
iii) Suggests that Recommendation 1558 (2002) be transmitted to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations;
iv) Proposes to take the recommendation of the Parliamentary Assembly into consideration when discussing the possible activities related to the conservation of marine biodiversity and ecosystems in the framework of the Bern Convention, the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy and the Pan-European Ecological Network.