21 February 2014
Analysis of potential chokes issues The available studies of the potential impacts of choke species suggest that there is a risk of choke species having a large negative effect on fishing if access to quota issues cannot be resolved.
In many cases there may
be businesses unable to continue trading and large quantities of quota uncaught
if choke species take the effect highlighted in these reports. In some cases,
substantial changes in practice will be required in order for businesses to
remain profitable while observing the landings obligations. All methods used in
the analyses considered relied on very important assumptions which may not
represent the reality, and, depending on the assumptions used, may lead to very
different conclusions. However, without a large margin of flexibility there
could possibly be a substantial and unsustainable loss in profitability for
vessel businesses. The interpretation of the regulation, particularly the
application of de minimis allocations, may have substantial effects on
businesses as a consequence, the prospect of going out of business would
clearly generate a substantial incentive for individual business operators not
to comply with the landings obligation and compliance issues should be
considered in light of identified expected choke species.
Objective 1 of the CFP
requires that fishing should deliver economic and social benefits and be done
in such a way as to be environmentally sustainable. Article 15 of CFP reform
might prove inconsistent with this objective if many vessel businesses cannot
continue to trade and much of the agreed quota remains uncaught due to the
effects of choke species. Quota swaps between MS might become more difficult to
achieve because MS that previously were willing to swap away quota, may now
need that quota to prevent the species from becoming a choke species. The
problem and solutions vary by MS according to how they variously manage their
allocation of quotas to vessels / businesses. MS and Producer Organisations
that operate tradable quota units will have different solutions than those that
have equal monthly catch allocations per vessel, non-tradable and not time
flexible. Different species may choke different individual vessels and / or
groups of vessels operating in the same sea areas, depending on how access to
quota is allocated.