This concentration process resulted into the emergence of major companies. The
European Union now has one of the largest fishing fleets in the world and
although most of it operates within its own waters, a significant part of the
fishing sector depends on access to non-European resources, that is to say those
which are shared with third countries, those in the waters under the
jurisdiction of more distant coastal States or those in international waters. In
all these cases, the definition of the conditions of access has to be agreed
between the European Union and one or more coastal or flag States. Recovery
plans to meet urgent situations, such as the one adopted for Irish Sea cod, need
in the future to include an important component of specific technical measures.
The notion of fish stock rebuilding should also be introduced. There is a need
to open a new debate on technical measures in the light of the experience
acquired through the application of existing legislation and recovery plans. At
the same time there is a need to involve the fishermen in the formulation of new
rules, to facilitate closer links between fishermen and scientists and to
promote further the transparency of the scientific advice. When the structural
problems of the fisheries sector have been addressed and the economic and social
situation within the sector has become more stable, it may be possible to
consider the possibility of allowing market forces to operate in fisheries as in
the rest of the economy. The correct application of health requirements will
have different effects on the fisheries sector. One of them will be to reassure
consumers about the healthiness and safety of fishery products; this could
further raise demand for fish as opposed to other sources of protein. On the
other hand, the correct application of health requirements to fisheries in
particularly polluted areas could mean either a change in fishing activity or,
in a few cases, closure of the fishery. This could also have repercussions on
processing industries. To have an effective fleet policy it should also be
recognised that fishing effort is increasing every year due to technological
progress. Advances in vessel and gear design, fish-finding equipment and
telecommunications all contribute to this. The fleet reduction rates would need
to be at least large enough to counter the effect of technological progress. In
over-exploited fisheries they would have to be very much higher than this. One
could also envisage adapting the reduction rates in order to favour
environmentally friendly gears or fishing techniques. Another important guiding
principle is that public aid must under no circumstances contribute to an
increase in fishing effort. Rather, as long as public aid is used for fleet
renewal there should be a net decrease in fishing effort. In the long term, such
aid should be abandoned. In general, two kinds of measures are needed: first,
those which help to secure a sustainable and economically viable fisheries
sector; second, measures to help those now employed in the fisheries sector who
will need to find alternative employment. The latter would also need to address
ways of overcoming the problem of transferability of the skills and experience
of fishermen to new economic activities. Some form of transitional assistance
during retraining for other employment might be necessary. The choice of
measures should take into account the "fisheries dependency" of some coastal
regions in relation to small-scale, artisanal fisheries. Because of their
importance for employment, in particular in local areas with few alternative
opportunities, and because they have, if properly managed, a lower impact on the
resources, small-scale artisanal fisheries may need to be excluded from this
general approach. Such fisheries could be the beneficiaries of a specific
fisheries aid programme, subject to clear conditions for eligibility. In certain
areas, the fish-processing industry constitutes a considerable part of local
economic activity in particular in terms of jobs. The policy for this sector
should be more selective and be geographically focused on the basis of economic
and social cohesion policy criteria and could be mainly oriented to support the
small and medium-sized enterprises located in areas most dependent on fishing
activities. Establishing an appropriate strategy for the processing industry is
hindered, however, by the lack of reliable statistical data on the structure,
production and economics of the sector. The Member States are very reluctant to
supply such information. Apart from providing sustainable employment in the
fisheries sector and assisting in the conversion of fish workers to other
sectors, where necessary, the European Union still needs to address other social
issues, such as improving the physical safety of fishing vessels and regulating
working conditions in the sector, including working hours, in order to minimise
safety risks. These considerations also apply to fishing vessels operating
outside European waters. Full compliance with legislation on working conditions
should be ensured. The Union is also concerned to ensure that the substantial
role played by women in the fisheries sector is recognised and enhanced. In the
context of globalisation there is an interest in strengthening economic co-
operation between European companies and private partners in developing
countries. The bilateral relations must be adapted to changing circumstances.
Fisheries Agreements should from now on be able to meet developing States'
requirements and legitimate aspirations to develop their own fisheries. It
should be stressed that the bilateral agreements offer better guarantees of
responsible fishing than private arrangements. Nonetheless, substantial progress
still has to be made, in particular as regards the implementation of these
Agreements and their capacity to contribute to the development of the fisheries
policies of developing coastal states. The analysis of the situation in the
Mediterranean Sea shows that it is necessary to give a new political impetus to
the fisheries policy in this area. The Mediterranean should be fully integrated
into the Common Fisheries Policy, with the adjustments necessary to take account
of the specific conditions of fisheries in the area. The basic objective has to
be the same as in other waters: to guarantee the sustainability of fishing
activities in European waters and on the high seas.