Posted on August, 16 2004

Brussels, Belgium - WWF welcomes proposed short-term measures by the European Commission to protect cold-water corals around the Azores, Madeira, and Canary islands until long-term rules can be established later this year. WWF now urges the European Council to adopt the proposal at its next meeting in September.

The proposal comes after lobbying by WWF and Seas at Risk to protect fragile deep-sea ecosystems around the Azores from bottom trawling. The cold-water coral reefs around these islands have been in danger of this damaging fishing practice since 1 August this year, when the EU's fishing fleet gained access to Azorean waters between 100 and 200 nautical miles.

Averaging 3000m in depth, the waters around the Azores contain underwater mountains (called seamounts), cold-water coral reefs, and 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. 

However, in November 2003 the Council of European Fisheries Ministers agreed that the EU's fishing fleet could 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. Worryingly, the formerly prohibited, and extremely damaging, practice of bottom trawling was also allowed under the agreement. 

The Azores, supported by Seas at Risk and WWF, had asked the European Court of First Instance to suspend the Council regulation. However on 9 July this year, the court rejected the request.

As a result, the Azorean waters were opened to the EU fleet on 1 August. Many, including WWF and Seas at Risk, fear that the fleet will fish out the area in a matter of months.

The European Commission had tabled a ban on bottom trawling around the Azores, Madeira, and Canary islands in February this year. However, the process of establishing the ban has been delayed by the recent European elections. The measures proposed today are intended to protect these fragile areas until the permanent ban is set up in a few months time.

For further information: 
Stephan Lutter
WWF North-East Atlantic Programme
Tel: +49 171 5487312