The hearing was held in response to a consultative Green Paper by the European Commission, which sets out a possible future course for Europe's Common Fisheries Policy. Over 40,000 people in the 27 countries of the European Union work in the industry and will be affected by the reforms. 

North Sea Cod in dire straits

According to figures from the Commission, 30% of the fish stocks are outside what they term “safe biological limits”. In layman's terms this means that they are not able to produce enough to replenish the fish caught. Particularly hard hit is North Sea Cod of which over 9 out of 10 fish are caught before they can breed.

The hearing brought together many fish producers and those who work in the industry. One of the key issues they raised is what they perceive as unfair competition from fish caught outside the European Union being sold on Europe's markets. At present 60% of all fish consumed in the EU is imported from third countries.

They argued that the stringent rules and regulations imposed on them made the fish they catch much more expensive. 

Prices down 18% in 5 years

Robert Stevenson of the North East of Scotland fishermen’s organisation told those present that it is unacceptable that “the most heavily regulated fishing fleet in the world” have to adhere to minimum prices set by the EU while “often inferior products” are allowed into the EU at very low prices.

Citing an example Jacques Pichon, director of the “Pêcheurs Manche Atlantique”, said the average price of fish has gone down 18% since 2005. He said that a German trawler fisherman cost 160 dollars per day whilst a Senegalese cost only cost 22 dollars. “I think we need to say no more” he said.

Fish producers also said they wanted clearer labelling and transparency to be able to compete with whitefish substitutes and farmed fish from third countries and to balance supply and demand in the EU's fish market.

Producers also want to keep “withdrawal prices” - a minimum price guarantee to keep market prices up. If they still can't find a buyer at the minimum price set by the EU, the fish will be withdrawn from the market.

A future for Europe's fishing fleet?

Many of the 2002 reforms concentrated on the subsidised scrapping of vessels to reduce fishing capacity.

The Chair of Parliament's Fisheries Committee Carmen Fraga Estévez warned against relying too heavily on imports and losing our own European fishing fleet. “If we depend more on imports, supply wouldn’t be guaranteed, nor low prices” said the Spanish MEP from the centre right European People's Party.

Francisco Teixeira, manager of the Spanish Fresh Fisheries and Producers Organisation said that “we have to make sure there will be a next generation of fishermen”.

“Fishing for the waste dump, not the consumers”

A key issue facing any reform is what is to be done to reduce the amount of “by-catch” - namely fish caught and then thrown back into the sea.

Swedish Green MEP Isabella Lövin was sceptical about what could be done about minimum prices. She said that in Sweden alone 5,000 tons of cod were discarded between 1995 and 1996. “European fishermen are fishing for the waste dump, not the consumers” she said.

Replying to this observation Jacques Pichon said this was “a symptom of the disease – not the disease itself”.

The processing and canning industry that buys and processes much of the imported fish from third countries was also invited to the hearing. They said they do not want more import regulations and were disappointed that they were not considered by more than a few paragraphs in the green paper.