IMM-97

Ministerial meeting on the integration of fisheries and environmental issues in the North Sea

Opening address by Norway's Minister of the Environment Mr. Thorbjørn Berntsen

Introduction

Allow me to extend a warm welcome to Bergen to you all!

It is by no means a coincidence that we have chosen this very city as venue for the Ministerial Meeting. Bergen is an old Hanseatic town which for centuries has served as Norway's gateway to Europe. On the exact spot in which we are sitting today - on the old wharves "Bryggen" of Bergen - we have reason to believe that there has been a lively trade in fish and fish products dating back as far as the 14th century. Several of the 18th century buildings here have been conserved and restored and "Bryggen" in Bergen features today on UNESCO's world cultural heritage list.

This is a historical meeting - the first time in fact that all ministers of fisheries and of the environment in the North Sea countries and the respective EU Commissioners are gathered at a joint conference on environment and resource management. It is also a meeting of great significance for society at large. The North Sea is in all respects an important sea, and we all have some measure of responsibility for preserving the environment and the resources which form the very basis for trade, industry and employment for large sectors of the populations living in this area. The topics of discussion during these next two days are therefore crucial to the future policy for sustainable development. There has been keen interest in this conference, and high expectations have been set for our discussions and conclusions here at the meeting.

The North Sea Conferences have long-standing traditions in focusing on the impacts on the North Sea from human activities. From Bremen in 1984 via London in 1987, the Hague in 1990, Copenhagen in 1993 and Esbjerg in 1995, we have set ourselves ambitious objectives aimed at reducing the strain on the North Sea caused by pollution from all sources. Assessment reports on the state of the environment in the North Sea from 1987 and 1993 have served as an important basis for these objectives. This meeting, however, is not to focus on pollution as such. These issues will be addressed on a broad basis at the Fifth North Sea Conference, also to be hosted by Norway.

What we will concentrate on today are the manifest signs that certain species and habitats in the North Sea are subject to severe strain. Hence, if we are to preserve the North Sea as a healthy and productive body of water, we must also look at the impact from fisheries activities. If we fail in our joint efforts to turn the trend of stock developments in the North Sea, the entire economic foundation for our fisheries industries, namely the resource base itself, would be at stake. If the fish disappear, what good is there then in restructuring our fishing fleets or preserving settlements along the coast or improving the productivity of our fleets?

In a process such as this - in which the integration of fisheries and environmental issues is the theme - the principle of sector responsibility is essential. In this specific context, this means the integration of environmental considerations into our fisheries policies. Let me therefore emphasize here that the preservation of nature's diversity and productive capacity must be regarded as a vital basis for - and not an obstacle to - the future sustainable exploitation of nature. In this respect, the long-term objectives of both fisheries and environmental policies concur.

The work that now needs to be accomplished is a natural and necessary follow-up of several global agreements to which all North Sea countries and the European Union are already signatories. In the environmental sector, I would like to mention in particular the Convention on Biological Diversity and Agenda 21, which establish the guiding principles for the work of signatory countries in the preservation of ecosystems and biological diversity. In the fisheries sector, it would be natural to mention FAO's Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and the principles of the UN Agreement on the Conservation and Management of Straddling and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks. Both these documents underline the need for a precautionary approach in the management of fish resources, or as we say here in Norway, "use your head"!

Our aim in a global perspective must be to ensure that the management of the North Sea in the future can serve as a model for the rest of the world. Our achievements should also represent an important contribution to the CSD process. The North Sea is perhaps the most thoroughly studied sea area in the world, and at the same time we enjoy a positive and well-established climate of cooperation. If we cannot manage to preserve the environment, the biological diversity and the viable, commercial stocks of the North Sea, who could then be expected to accomplish this in other waters?

Assessment Report

The preparations leading up to this conference have been useful in themselves. Throughout the whole preparatory process, fisheries and environmental officials from all North Sea countries have been forced to consider and formulate positions on difficult issues which earlier may have been pushed aside. We have exchanged information on numerous, sometimes unaccustomed concepts, and have gained insight into new problem areas. We have been forced to look at our own conceptions and problems from new angles. I have been told that this process has contributed to developing close and positive cooperation between fisheries and environmental officials within the participating countries. This is in itself a significant break-through, bringing us an important step further in attaining our objective: to preserve the resources and habitats of the North Sea.

One tangible result of this preparatory process is the well-prepared and agreed Assessment Report now available that also shows how important it is to allocate adequate time for preparatory work. Here, the North Sea countries, with valuable assistance from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES), have highlighted the current serious situation for many of the fish stocks of the North Sea. We should feel special concern about the prospect of herring and cod stocks being in danger of collapsing. Furthermore, the report describes the impact from fisheries activities on commercial species and the ecosystem as such, and how other influences on the marine environment may adversely affect fish resources and fisheries. Many people have done an excellent job in preparing this report. Now we have the knowledge - let's move on to actions.

Statement of Conclusions

Let us raise our heads for a moment and see how we would wish the North Sea in the future. We would like to see waters that are healthy and clean, with a rich diversity of species and giving a basis for sustainable exploitation on a far higher level than is the case today. In order to achieve this, certain measures need to be implemented, and there are certain principles and fundamental elements on which such measures should be founded. Any future management of the North Sea must, above all, rely on two elements. One is an approach based on the precautionary principle; the other element is the principle of a comprehensive, ecosystem approach to resource management. The challenge facing us now is to transform these principles into concrete, practical policies and to establish certain rules of conduct to ensure that the totality, as well as the interrelations between the various species of the ecosystem are taken good care of.

Equally important is that any future management of the North Sea must be founded on scientific advice. This applies not only to resource management as such, but also to environmental measures and, in this respect, to measures aimed at reducing adverse impacts on as well as from fisheries. However, simply receiving scientific advice is not enough, the advice must also be used actively to preserve the resource base. It is our responsibility to plan on a long term, following up the scientific advice and to take responsibility for the fact that our measures at times will make lives hard for those whose livelihood depends on fisheries.

Chairman's Wishes for the Meeting

A major task lies ahead of us - and we have no time to loose!

My wish today is that we follow the tradition of past North Sea Conferences and display the political will to achieve concrete commitments within set timeframes. We have a good starting point in the draft document prepared by CONSSO, and it is now up to us as ministers to take this opportunity to further improve and tighten up the text. Let us agree on how to secure and safeguard this rich resource base for ourselves and for future generations. Let us agree on how we would like the North Sea to be in 3, 5 or 25 years. Let us see to it that all this is embodied in the final declaration, so that we have a sound and solid basis for the follow-up of concrete measures as well as the further integration of fisheries- and environmental policies before the Fifth North Sea Conference. Let us ensure the success of this meeting.