The European Commission has issued its proposed catch limits for fish stocks in the Atlantic and the North Sea. Based on this proposal, E.U. fisheries ministers will set final catch limits at the Fisheries Council on 15 to 16 December, to apply as of 1 January, 2021.
Following scientific advice, the commission’s proposal for 23 total allowable catches (TACs) involves quota decreases for 13 stocks, including hake, nephrops, plaice, sole, and pollock, while increasing the limits on horse mackerel in Iberian waters and sole in Kattegat by 5 percent and 12 percent, respectively.
Four TACs are delegated to a member state, and four do not follow the calendar year and are already set until June 2021 or await scientific advice next year.
E.U. Commissioner for Environment, Oceans, and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius said the proposal showed a commitment to preserving biodiversity at sea.
“Scientists are telling us to set lower catch limits for many of our stocks, and we are following this advice. Setting responsible catch limits will keep our ecosystems healthy and our fishing sector profitable, even in the face of short-term cuts. This is our guiding principle also in negotiations with our international partners,” he said.
The commission has also proposed to continue existing safeguard measures to ensure that the amount of cod in Kattegat recovers to safe levels. Following the advice received by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) that no targeted fishery should take place for this stock, the commission will set a fishing quota for bycatch only.
Fishers in the area must use selective gears that reduce or avoid cod bycatch, or use electronic monitoring to prevent illegal discards.
The proposal also covers TACs that will be decided in cooperation with non-E.U. countries, such as the United Kingdom and Norway, or through regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs).
It follows the commission’s earlier proposal for decreased TACs for three deep-sea stocks for 2021 and 2022, which are fished exclusively in E.U. waters by E.U. member states, namely roundnose grenadier in Skagerrak and Kattegat, reduced by 90 percent, red seabream in the Iberian waters, reduced 20 percent, and black scabbardfish in the Bay of Biscay, Iberian waters, and the Azores, reduced 25 percent.
Deep-sea fisheries account for less than 1 percent of all fish caught in the Northeast Atlantic.
The commission also highlighted that despite reduced activity during the initial months of the coronavirus pandemic, preliminary results show that the E.U.’s fishing industry remains profitable, with estimated gross profits expected to reach EUR 1.5 billion (USD 1.7 billion) for 2020.
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