EC to endorse an implementation plan for fishing catch limits in 2018
The Commission proposals are made in line with the EU's Common Fisheries Policy, which aims to have all stocks fished at sustainable levels by 2020 at the latest. With the approaching deadline, the proposals call for ambition and leave no time for complacency or backtracking on previous years' progress towards sustainable fishing.
According to data provided by the European Commission, the profitability of the EU fisheries is improving with an estimated 1.5 billion euros profit for 2017. This will occur in the context of an increasing in size of some key fish stocks due to sustained efforts of the sector.
The proposal launched by the European executive sets out how much EU fishermen may catch from the main commercial fish stocks next year (Total Allowable Catches, TAC).
TACs are proposed in line with maximum sustainable yields (MSY), where an MSY assessment is available. This enables the fishing industry to catch the highest amount of fish that also allows for keeping stocks at healthy levels, thus underpinning the continued trend towards sustainable fisheries in EU waters.
In November, the Commission proposed for the Atlantic and the North Sea quotas for 76 stocks: for 53 stocks the fishing quota is either increased or remains the same, and for 23 stocks it is reduced.
Since then, the Commission has also proposed additional 'quota top-ups' for fisheries that in 2018 fall under the landing obligation, which requires fishermen to land all fish they catch. The allowed quota is thereby increased to ease the transition to the new system of 'no discards'.
Furthermore, the Commission has proposed TACs for certain stocks, where the scientific advice was only received following the publication of the proposal.
Following scientific advice, the Commission has also proposed a fishing ban on eels in the Baltic Sea, the Atlantic and the North Sea, until it can be shown that the state of the stock has improved.
For the Black Sea, which concerns Bulgaria and Romania, the Commission proposal follows the agreement reached at this year's General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) Annual Session, which approved the first-ever multiannual management plan for the Black Sea. The adoption of these quotas is foreseen without discussion.
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