7. Mr T. Brenner (Germany), Chairperson of the Sub-Commission, informed the Commission on progress in the activities agreed upon during the Twenty-second Session of the Commission. The report of the activities was submitted to the Session as EIFAC/XXIII/2004/5 and EIFAC/XXIII/2004/Inf.4.
8. The EIFAC/ICES Working Party on Eels met in Pasaia (Spain) at AZTI in October 2003. Its Terms of Reference included an update of the information on the status of the stock, an assessment of the impact of fisheries and habitat loss with quantification of management targets for these, development of post-evaluation procedures, and a review of national management plans in the light of previous advice. A full report of the meeting is available on the ICES web site.[1]
9. National reports constituted a valuable source of information, enabling the Working Party to strengthen its role as a clearing-house. The general picture of the eel stock in Europe is one of declining trends: recruitment has declined in the 1980s, and reached a historical minimum in 2001, with no subsequent improvement. Landing statistics show a decline during a much longer period, but these statistics are notoriously incomplete as the stock size, fishing effort and impacts are unknown. National management plans (in place or being developed) do not yet facilitate an adequate recovery regime.
10. The Dutch delegation informed the Sub-Commission that the problem of eels will be placed on the agenda for EU discussion when The Netherlands assumes the Chairmanship of the Commission in July 2004.
11. The Secretariat informed the Sub-Commission that a meeting will be held shortly in FAO, Rome, to address the inconsistencies in eel data.
12. The Sub-Commission agreed that a letter be sent by the Chairman of EIFAC to the EU DGs - Fish and - Environment and to the National Governments of the EIFAC member countries. This letter should explain EIFAC concerns regarding fisheries, habitat, social and economic aspects, and research aspects of eels and urge the EU and National Governments to develop concrete initiatives and take action to conserve this species.
13. The EIFAC/ICES Working Party recommended that:
“A recovery plan for the European eel stock be compiled and implemented as a matter of urgency and that fishing and other anthropogenic impacts on production/escapement of silver eels be reduced to the lowest possible level until such a plan can be agreed and implemented.”
“Monitoring of recruitment, stocks, fisheries and escapement be sustained at recent levels, whilst a stock recovery plan - including a comprehensive monitoring and research programme - be agreed and implemented.”
14. No additional proposal for continuation of the work was presented because any future programme depends on whether political decisions are taken on the EU Eel Action Plan.
15. The WP met in June 2002 in Windermere, UK, in association with the Twenty-second Session of EIFAC. This meeting contributed information to assist work by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) on the draft standard: “Water Quality - Guidance on the scope and selection of fish sampling methods”. During the Inter-Session, links were maintained with the Fish-based Assessment Method for the Ecological Status of European Rivers project (FAME). A list of forthcoming fisheries-related conferences was produced and is updated every month. A second meeting of the WP was held in Wierzba, Poland, in May 2004 during the Twenty-third Session of EIFAC.
16. It was agreed that work for the next Inter-Session would focus on completing the document “Best Practice in Electric Fishing” and producing “Guidelines for Sampling Fish in Fresh Waters” which will be designed to give a practical interpretation of the various standards and directives associated with fish monitoring. It was recommended that each Working Party should post any documents produced by it, including details of its members, on the EIFAC web site.
17. During the intersession the WP worked on a review of stocking and introductions in EIFAC countries and impacts and issues relating to current practice. The Convener of the Working Party represented EIFAC at the European Commission workshop entitled “The need for binding rules regarding introductions, transfers and containment of aquatic organisms in aquaculture” in December 2003 and presented a position statement on the EIFAC guidelines for stocking and introductions and the work in progress. The Convener has been requested by FAO to produce technical guidelines on stocking to complement the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and these will be available to EIFAC. Members of the WP will participate in the session on Invasive species at the Eleventh Ichthyological Congress in Estonia in September 2004 to discuss issues concerning introductions and formulate protocols thereon.
18. Following a recommendation of the EIFAC Executive Committee (EXCOM), at its meeting in Rome, 19-21 May 2003, Mr R. Fricke was appointed Convener which he accepted. Based on discussions with Mr Fricke, the Commission agreed to amend the terms of reference as follows:
(i) Production of a pan-European fish atlas for the approximately 600 existing species with special emphasis on the relation between fish and their inland water habitats and on the threat to extinction (approximately 700 pages)
(ii) Maintenance of a catalogue for EIFAC of material available; and
(iii) Advice to countries on preparing such material, using a unified approach
19. Mr Fricke has already started to compile data and will send this material to European colleagues for crosschecking. It is envisaged that the species catalogue will eventually be prepared in printed format. However, information for single countries will be successively made available as soon as possible in electronic format. The Technical Secretary will investigate the possibility of making available through FAO country maps and a map of Europe in a standardized format. Furthermore, interest in, as well as possibilities and costs for, publishing the catalogue through FAO (e.g. the Species Identification and Data Programme) and for making it available through FIGIS will be clarified.
20. The Convener, after consultation with the EIFAC Secretariat and the Chairman of the Sub-Commission, sent a questionnaire to all members of the WP to determine the current status of stocks and their level of exploitation. The questionnaire was also sent to the GFCM Secretariat inviting them to identify experts and to encourage them to share in the efforts of the Working Party. The information resulting from the questionnaire was reviewed at a meeting of the WP held during the Twenty-third Session of EIFAC. Because of the low response to the questionnaire the Convener will re-solicit the information. During the intersession the WP has maintained appropriate linkages with relevant organizations. The WP continues to co-operate with the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). Members of the WP have been involved in the establishment of the new World Sturgeon Conservation Society (WSCS).
21. The Sub-Commission recommended that the following steps be taken:
(i) Gather the missing information.
(ii) Evaluate the existing results for the River Danube and compile a report for distribution.
(iii) Formulate an action plan on sturgeon management as a proposal for EU funding with the assistance of Hungary.
22. The following were elected as Officers of the Sub-Commission: Mr T. Brenner (Germany), Chairperson; Mr J. Caffrey (Ireland), Vice-Chairperson; Mr I. Navodaru (Romania), Rapporteur.
| [1] http://www.ices.dk/reports/ACFM/2003/WGEEL/WGEEL2004.pdf). |
