38 Amendments of João FERREIRA related to 2011/2290(INI)
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A A (new)
Recital A A (new)
Aa. whereas the fishing industry is of strategic importance in terms of the public supply of fish and the food balance in various Member States and the European Union itself, and whereas it makes a considerable contribution to socio- economic wellbeing in coastal communities, local development, employment, the preservation and creation of economic activities upstream and downstream and the preservation of local cultural traditions;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F A (new)
Recital F A (new)
Fa. whereas the CFP must take account of the marked differences between fleets, fleet segments, target species, fishing gear, productivity, consumption preferences and the fish consumed per capita in the various EU Member States, in addition to the special features of fishing activity stemming from their social structure and structural and natural imbalances between the various fishing regions;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F B (new)
Recital F B (new)
Fb. whereas there is a clear disparity in income between people living from fishing and other sections of the population; whereas it is necessary to guarantee the former an equitable standard of living, particularly by increasing their individual earnings;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F C (new)
Recital F C (new)
Fc. whereas the incomes and wages of people working in the fishing industry are insecure owing to the way in which fish is marketed, the way in which first-sale prices are set and the irregular characteristics of fishing, which means that adequate national and EU public funding for the sector needs to be maintained;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I A (new)
Recital I A (new)
Ia. whereas action to promote the sustained development of a given region should enhance the interaction between its natural environmental and human components and promote the quality of life of its coastal communities; whereas a policy for fisheries must start from the assumption of interdependence between the welfare of coastal communities and the sustainability of ecosystems of which they are an integral part;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I B (new)
Recital I B (new)
Ib. whereas the common fisheries policy (CFP) should bear responsibility for financing its costs, in particular the decisions and measures adopted as part of that policy;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Considers the prime objectives of any fisheries policy to be the supply of fish to the public and the development of coastal communities, promoting employment and better working conditions for fishing professionals, while seeking to establish resources on a sustainable footing making for their proper conservation;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 A (new)
Paragraph 1 A (new)
1a. Stresses that any and every fisheries policy should take account of a multitude of dimensions — social, environmental and economic — that require an integrated and balanced approach that is incompatible with a vision that creates a hierarchy among them according to an a priori definition of priorities;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Believes that a ban on discards should only be put in place if accompanied by technical measures to reduce unwanted bycatch and incentives to encourage selective fishing practices, provided the ecosystem balance is maintained; priority should go to avoiding unwanted catches in the first place, rather than finding ways to market them; also stresses the importance of stakeholder engagement and careful design of the landing obligation, in order not to shift from unwanted fish in the sea to unwanted fish on land;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes the difficulty of applying such a measure in the case of mixed fisheries, including in, but not limited to, the Mediterranean, given the existence of mixed fisheries, specific fishing practices and specific climatic and geological conditions; believes that further consultations are needed to tackle the difficulties linked to establishing the infrastructure for collecting and processing the bycatch as proposed by the Commission; calls for measures to reduce the catch of juveniles and discourage the market in juveniles;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 A (new)
Paragraph 15 A (new)
15a. Believes that, in view of the ending of discards, consideration should be given to the possibility of granting floor-rate financial compensation to help producers meet the costs of handling, storing, and landing the entire quantity of unwanted catches;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 A (new)
Paragraph 16 A (new)
16a. Believes that revenue from the marketing of unwanted catches must, for the most part, be assigned to national authorities, which shall use it to obtain and process biological data to help improve knowledge of the state of fishery resources; stresses that a portion of the revenue can be used to compensate producers for the costs incurred in the handling, storage and landing of those catches, granting producers a floor-rate percentage of their market value;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Stresses that the introduction of such a measure would imply an in-depth reform of the control and enforcement system; asks the Commission to assist Member States in this respect, in order to ensure that enforcement applies across the board in a uniform manner; believes that the Fisheries Control Agency (CFCA) should have increased powers to ensure a fair system of rules and sanctions;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 A (new)
Paragraph 18 A (new)
18a. Stresses that scientific fisheries research is an essential tool for fisheries management that is indispensable for identifying the factors that influence the development of fishery resources, with a view to carrying out a quantitative assessment and developing models that make it possible to forecast their development, but also for improving fishing gear, vessels and working and safety conditions for fishermen, in conjunction with their knowledge and experience;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Notes that the main reason for this lack of basic scientific data on the majority of stocks is inadequate reporting by Member States; in this respect, calls on the Commission to provide Member States with technical and financial assistance for the collection and analysis of reliable data, employing both positive and negative incentives;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 A (new)
Paragraph 20 A (new)
20a. Notes that the Community contribution to funding the acquisition, processing and availability of scientific data, to support knowledge-based management, does not currently exceed 50 %; calls, therefore, for increased Community effort in this area by raising the maximum permissible co-financing rate to at least 75 %;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 A (new)
Paragraph 21 A (new)
21a. Stresses the need to strengthen R&D activities related to the fisheries sector; therefore, investment in human resources training, availability of adequate financial resources, and cooperation between the different R&D organisations in the Member States is required; notes the need to provide respectable working conditions, and decent rights and pay for researchers and technical experts involved in scientific fisheries research;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 B (new)
Paragraph 21 B (new)
21b. Considers living marine resources to be a common public asset, which cannot be privatised; rejects the creation of private property rights for access to exploit this public asset;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Notes that the proposal to introduce ‘Transferable Fishing Concessions’ (TFCs), contained in the basic regulation, raises concerns regarding the concentration and creation of monopolies; stresses that in a number of countries transferable fishing rights have allowed fishing capacity to be reduced, which is commendable; emphasises, however, that adequate safeguards would need to be introduced in order to protectthe consequences would be profoundly negative for small-scale and coastal fishing, which is the most economically endangered part of the industry but also that providing most of the jobs and economic activity in coastal regions; also recalls that a reduction in fishing capacity does not necessarily mean a reduction in fishing activity, but merely the concentration of fishery resource exploitation by more economically competitive operators;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 A (new)
Paragraph 22 A (new)
22a. Rejects the mandatory application of the TFCs; argues that the decision on whether or not to adopt the TFC and on which sections of the fleet to include in this scheme should be that of Member States;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 B (new)
Paragraph 22 B (new)
22b. Draws attention to the fact that the TFCs cannot be seen as a foolproof method for resolving the problems of overfishing and overcapacity; stresses that a regulatory approach to making the necessary adjustments in fishing activities remains a viable alternative to a market- based approach;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Considers that prior to the mandatory introduction of TFCs the Commission should undertake fleet assessments in order to obtain credible results vis-à-vis the precise situation of overcapacity at EU level, thus making it possible to propose appropriate and targeted instruments for its reduction;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 A (new)
Paragraph 25 A (new)
25a. Stresses that, in addition to environmental factors, scientific fisheries research should also take into account the social and economic aspects of fishing activity; considers it essential to assess the impact of the various different fisheries management systems/instruments on employment and income in fishing communities;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 B (new)
Paragraph 25 B (new)
25b. Calls for the introduction of mechanisms to improve first-sale prices to benefit fishermen, to increase their income, and to promote a fair and appropriate distribution of added value across the value chain, thereby reducing intermediary margins, improving the price paid to producers and reducing the price paid by the end consumer; reaffirms that, in cases where there are serious imbalances in the chain, Member States should be able to take intervention measures such as fixing the maximum intermediary margins for each agent in the chain;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 C (new)
Paragraph 25 C (new)
25c. Reaffirms the need for strict monitoring and certification of fisheries products entering the Community market, including imports, to ensure that they originate from sustainable fisheries and that, in the case of imported products, they meet the same requirements that Community producers have to comply with — for example, with regard to labelling, traceability, phytosanitary regulations and minimum sizes;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 D (new)
Paragraph 25 D (new)
25d. Considers that the various measures for managing fisheries resources will be better understood, accepted and implemented as there are greater levels of participation, clearer objectives and increased economic and social support for those affected; stresses the need to implement mechanisms for subsidising or compensating fishermen affected by the economic and social repercussions of multiannual recovery and management plans and ecosystem protection measures;
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 A (new)
Paragraph 30 A (new)
30a. Calls on Member States to draw up long-term national strategies in the fisheries sector, that should be the object of discussion and consultation between Member States, especially regarding cases where different Member States' fleets operate in the same waters; calls on the European Commission to provide support during the process of developing and implementing these strategies and to periodically review the situation;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 B (new)
Paragraph 30 B (new)
30b. Advocates that reform of the CFP should take into account local, regional and national characteristics; rejects centralised management, which does not take into account these features and whose profoundly negative results are now clearly visible; advocates local management, based on scientific data and involving the sector in the formulation and implementation of policies;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 A (new)
Paragraph 31 A (new)
31a. Stresses that in some Member States the rights of sovereignty over territorial waters, exclusive economic zones and adjacent seabed are constitutionally enshrined;
Amendment 250 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 B (new)
Paragraph 31 B (new)
31b. Considers that, once general management objectives have been established, Member States should have the flexibility to decide on the most appropriate methods to achieve these objectives, particularly regarding the right of access to fisheries resources, taking into account the nature of their fleets, fisheries and resources;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 C (new)
Paragraph 31 C (new)
31c. Stresses the importance of the fisheries sector in the socio-economic situation, employment and promotion of economic and social cohesion in the outermost regions (ORs), areas that are characterised by economies with permanent structural constraints and few opportunities for economic diversification;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 D (new)
Paragraph 31 D (new)
31d. Considers it necessary to maintain and strengthen community support for the fisheries sectors in the ORs, notably the programme to compensate for additional costs in marketing certain fishery products from certain ORs (‘POSEI Fisheries’) as a result of their remoteness; accordingly, advocates that this programme should remain in force permanently, since their remoteness is a permanent factor;
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 E (new)
Paragraph 31 E (new)
31e. Advocates the consecration and expansion of the exclusive access reserve area (currently 12 nautical miles) to adjacent areas in accordance with the continental shelf; believes that, in the case of the outermost regions, this area should be extended from 100 to 200 nautical miles;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 A (new)
Paragraph 34 A (new)
34a. Calls for the principle of convergence to be given due consideration when allocating structural and cohesion funds, including the future EFF, taking into account the principle of solidarity and economic and social cohesion;
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 B (new)
Paragraph 34 B (new)
34b. Stresses the need for the future EFF to offer grants for the renewal and modernisation of fishing fleets on the grounds of safety, environmental protection and fuel economy;
Amendment 283 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 C (new)
Paragraph 34 C (new)
34c. Stresses that new funds should be allocated for new policies, objectives or priorities with an impact on the marine environment; rejects that the financing of these new priorities, objectives or policies (such as the Integrated Maritime Policy) is made at the expense of the funds required for the fisheries policy;