I wish to record that my vote is conditioned by the following reservation:
It is important that fisheries agreements concluded by the EU with third countries from the developing world seek to safeguard the rights of traditional fishermen while allowing for modern development of the fisheries industry.
It is equally important that the rights and interests of traditional fishermen be also safeguarded in member states especially in small island communities, as in my country Malta.
Traditional fishermen there rightly feel that they are being placed in an unsustainable position. Fishing quotas have been assigned to member states on a one-size-fits-all basis, as in the allocation of tuna quotas in the Mediterranean. Also in the way by which the quota system and the discards arrangements have been designed, small scale traditional fishermen were squeezed even harder, while incentives were implemented to encourage them to give up their work.
The lifework of these fishermen, if it is maintained and encouraged, could in any way undermine the operations of the single market in the fisheries sector.
Sustainable fisheries arrangements both within and outside the EU should fully respect the rights and interests of traditional fishermen. This is not always happening.
Maltese Version
Nixtieq nirreġistra li l-vot tiegħi favur il-mozzjoni qed isir bir-riżerva segwenti.
Huwa importanti li ftehim dwar is-sajd konkluż mill-UE ma’ pajjiżi terzi l-anqas żviluppati u dawk li qed jiżviluppaw jfittxu wkoll li jissalvagwardjaw id-drittijiet tas-sajjieda tradizzjonali filwaqt li jippermettu l-iżvilupp modern tal-industrija tas-sajd.
Huwa ugwalment importanti li d-drittijiet u l-interessi tas-sajjieda tradizzjonali jiġu salvagwardjat ukoll fl-istati membri, speċjalment fil komunitajiet tal-gżejjer żgħar, bħal dawk ta’ ġewwa pajjiżi, Malta.
Hawnhekk sajjieda tradizzjonali ġustament iħossu li qed jitqiegħdu f’sitwazzjoni insostenibbli. Kwoti tas-sajd ġew assenjati lill-istati membri ibbażati fuq il-kejl fejn daqs wieħed jgħodd għal kulħadd, bħal fl-allokazzjoni tal-kwoti tat-tonn fil-Mediterran. Il-mod li bih is-sistema tal-kwota u l-arranġamenti fuq ir-rimi lura ta’ ħut ġew mfassla qegħdin jgħassru aktar lis-sajjieda tradizzjonali li jaħdmu fuq skala żgħira, filwaqt li inċentivi jħeġġu lis-sajjieda sabiex jieqfu mix-xogħol tagħhom ġew implimentati.
Il-ħajja tax-xogħol ta’ dawn is-sajjieda, jekk tinżamm u tiġi mħeġġa, tista’ b’kwalunkwe mod tipperikol l-operazzjonijiet tas-suq uniku fis-settur tas-sajd.
Arranġamenti sostenibbli tas-sajd kemm ġewwa kif ukoll barra l-UE għandhom jirrispettaw bis-sħiħ id-drittijiet u l-interessi tas-sajjieda tradizzjonali. Dan mhux dejjem qed jiġri.
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