Posted on July, 09 2004

Update (August 2004): European Commission moves to protect Azores cold-water corals!

Luxembourg – The European Court of First Instance failed today to uphold a request from the Autonomous Region of the Azores (part of Portugal) to suspend a decision by the Council of European Fisheries Ministers that threatens one of the last European deep-sea wildernesses and one of Europe’s few sustainably managed fisheries. 

In November 2003, the Council of European Fisheries Ministers agreed that the EU's fishing fleet acould access Azorean waters between 100 and 200 nautical miles, without first agreeing limits on their activity and fishing gear. Such an opening would inevitably lead to a large increase of fishing activity in the region. More worryingly, the so-far prohibited and extremely damaging practice of bottom trawling will also be allowed under the agreement. 
 
The Azores, supported by Seas at Risk and WWF, had asked the court to suspend the Council regulation until the court had time to rule on the legality of the regulation. This process, argues the Azores government, could take up to two years. 
 
However, the court rejected the Azorean request as it was not convinced of the urgency to take measures nor of the environmental impact the EU fleet would have. The Court did not think the environmental concerns balanced the effect a suspension would have had on EU fishermen, especially in Spain. 
 
"This is a terrible blow for the marine environment and Azorean fishers. Without proper controls on their activity, the European fleet will fish out these waters in a matter of months," said Monica Verbeek, Fisheries Policy Officer at Seas At Risk. "What was once a model of fisheries management and a rare and very special environment will be destroyed forever."
 
Averaging 3000m in depth, the waters around the Azores contain vast undersea mountain ranges (called seamounts), cold-water coral reefs, and volcanic hydrothermal vents that are being proposed as candidates for World Heritage Park status. These features are rare in European waters, support a diverse range of marine life, and are especially vulnerable to intensive fishing practises like bottom trawling. The deep-water commercial fish species found here are long-lived and slow to reproduce. 
 
For generations, the people of the Azores have fished the area without depleting stocks or damaging the environment by using small vessels and traditional fishing methods, including special hooks to reduce bycatch of turtles and a ban on trawling in deep-water fisheries. 
 
Sixty-one large vessels, licensed by the Spanish government, have already been sighted fishing in the area. Another Spanish vessel is known to have caught 17 tonnes of Alfonsino (a vulnerable deep-water fish) in one trip. In comparison, the total annual Azorean catch of this species is just 250 tonnes. 
 
"This will lead to the destruction of one of Europe’s best preserved deep sea areas," said Charlotte Mogensen, Fisheries Officer at WWF. "The next two years will be crucial for the survival of the biodiversity of the Azores deep seas. We will fight hard to ensure that Azores is spared from future decisions that threaten Europe’s marine heritage."
 
Seas At Risk and WWF will continue to support Azorean efforts to ensure sustainable management of fish stocks and protection of the marine environment in Azorean waters. 

Notes:
• Seas At Risk is an independent non-governmental European federation of national and international environmental organizations concerned with the protection and restoration of the marine environment.

• The Azores are located in the south west of the North-East Atlantic where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge rises from the deep-sea basin. The archipelago is of volcanic origin, as are the submerged seamounts in the surrounding waters. In 2001, WWF highlighted the designation of the first deep-sea marine protected areas by the Azores government as a Gift to the Earth — WWF's highest accolade for conservation action by a government, a company, or an individual which is both a demonstration of environmental leadership and a globally significant contribution to the protection of the living world. 

For further information:
Monica Verbeek
Policy Officer, Seas At Risk
Tel: +351 96 561 7846
 
Stephan Lutter
WWF North-East Atlantic Programme
Tel: +49 171 5487312
 
Louis Belanger
WWF European Policy Office
Tel: +32 2 743 8800