EU set for fish quota bargaining

By Chris Mason
BBC News, Brussels

The condition of some fish stocks is hotly disputed

The annual round of haggling over how much fish European trawlers can catch has begun in Brussels.

Documents from the European Commission - the EU executive - claim that more than 80% of EU fish stocks are now overfished. The global average is 28%.

But scientists are unaware of the state of nearly two-thirds of Europe's fish stocks. Officials blame that on inaccurate reporting of catches.

Ministers, fleets and environmentalists now face lengthy negotiations.

The EU's Fisheries Commissioner, Joe Borg, said "the situation created by overfishing is serious" but added that some stocks are showing signs of recovery.

Negotiators have until the end of July to set out their views on how best to manage European fish stocks next year.

The quotas for 2010 will finally be agreed - as usual - at a summit here in December.

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EUROPEAN ELECTIONS 2009

MEP Seats

	Votes		MEPs
Party	%	+/- %	Total	+/-
EPP	33.4	-1.4	264	-18
Socialists	23.2	-4.1	183	-26
Liberal	11.0	+1.6	84	+5
Green	7.4	+1.3	50	+9
Left	5.3	-0.6	34	-2
UEN	3.4	+1.6	28	+2
Ind/Dem	2.7	-1.8	21	-15
No Group	13.6	+3.4	72	+3.4
0 of 27 countries declared.

Full EU Parliament results

Full UK results by region

UK Total MEP Seats

Party	Votes		MEPs
Party	%	+/- %	Total	+/-
CON	27.7	1.0	*26	1
UKIP	16.5	0.3	13	1
LAB	15.7	-6.9	13	-5
LD	13.7	-1.2	11	1
GRN	8.6	2.4	2	0
BNP	6.2	1.3	2	2
SNP	2.1	0.7	2	0
PC	0.8	-0.1	1	0
OTH	8.5	2.4	0	0
SF	–	–	1	0
DUP	–	–	1	0
72 of 72 seats declared. Vote share figures exclude Northern Ireland as it has a separate electoral system to the rest of the UK
* Includes UCUNF MEP elected in Northern Ireland