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Fish catches to be declared digitally under law approved by MEPs
For the first time, recreational boats will also have to declare catches, through electronic systems set up by national authorities or by the Commission
18 October 2023, 4:22pm
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
A fishing boat berthed at Marsaxlokk. Phtoto: James Bianchi/Mediatoday
A revamped EU fisheries control system will mean that all fishing vessels will be monitored and their catches reported electronically, to ensure full traceability.
The new fisheries control regulation measures will oblige all boats to carry on board a tracking device enabling national authorities to locate and identify them at regular intervals.
Certain small-scale vessels may be exempted from this obligation only until 2030, but all small-scale fishing fleets will get up to four years to adapt to these new requirements.
The new EU law – approved by MEPs by 438 to 146 votes, and opposed mainly by far-right and right-wing consergatives as well as a group of Italian MEPs – will enable more accurate data collection.
All EU vessels without exception will have to register and declare their catches in a digitalised way, particularly for fishing logbooks, transhipment declarations and landing declarations. This means masters of vessels under 12m will be able to complete and submit a simplified declaration at the end of the fishing day, once they are safe in port and before landing.
For the first time, recreational boats will also have to declare catches, through electronic systems set up by national authorities or by the Commission.
The Regulation also tackles an existing wide disparity between EU countries on sanctions: it will now be the value of fishery products caught by a vessel to define the minimum level of fines for a serious infringement of the rules.
A margin of tolerance – the difference between the estimate of the fish caught and the weight at the landing port – will be set at 10% per species, with some exceptions for small-volume catches and for some particular species.
EU vessels of over 18m will also have to carry on-board remote electronic monitoring systems, including closed-circuit television, at the latest four years after the entry into force of the legislation.
Operators will have to retain information from across the supply chain, from the sea to the plate, including from first sale to the retail stage of fishery and aquaculture products.
“We have reached a balanced agreement for the EU’s fisheries sector,” Spanish rapporteur Clara Aguilera (S&D) said. “The new control rules will be harmonised and more transparent, with fully digital procedures.. With this, MEPs are responding to the demand of consumers for information about the origin of all the food they eat.”
The next step is for the Council to adopt the regulation.
This article is part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. This article reflects only the author’s view. The action was co-financed by the European Union in the frame of the European Parliament's grant programme in the field of communication. The European Parliament was not involved in its preparation and is, in no case, responsible for or bound by the information or opinions expressed in the context of this action. In accordance with applicable law, the authors, interviewed people, publishers or programme broadcasters are solely responsible. The European Parliament can also not be held liable for direct or indirect damage that may result from the implementation of the action.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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