EU fisheries ministers have reached an agreement on the 2018 fishing opportunities in the Atlantic and North Sea following negotiations at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, held on 11 and 12 December. The agreement brings 53 catch limits or total allowable catches (TACs) to maximum sustainable yield (MSY) levels in 2018, nine more than in 2017.
“We are now more than half-way to the 2020 deadline to ensure that all stocks are fished sustainably. With today's agreement, two-thirds of fish in the Atlantic and the North Sea will be subject to sustainable catch limits next year. I would like to pay particular tribute to our fishermen, who year by year undertake considerable efforts. Each year we move closer to our objective of sustainable fisheries and this will bring substantial long term reward," said EU Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella.
The European Commission (EC) highlighted that as the size of some key fish stocks is increasing, so is the profitability of the fishing sector, with the new agreement on fishing opportunities worth over EUR 5 billion (USD 5.9 billion) and benefiting more than 50,000 fishermen.
The December negotiations were based on the Commission's proposal for 76 main stocks with the fishing quota for 53 increasing or remaining the same and reductions for 23 stocks.
In addition, for the first time at EU level, it was agreed to close eel fisheries for three months (between 1 September 2018 and 31 January 2019) during their migration period. Moreover, through a joint declaration, member states committed to further actions to protect eels throughout their lifecycle and in all sea basins.
These measures are crucial, both for the recovery of the stock and to safeguard the communities who depend on this fishery, said the EC.
For seabass, the council acknowledged the poor state of stocks in the Celtic Sea, Channel, Irish Sea and southern North Sea and their importance for many countries. It consequently decided to make additional efforts by only allowing limited fisheries with certain gears in those areas, while providing for a two-month closure to protect spawning aggregations.
Recreational bass fishing is further restricted, with only catch-and release fishing allowed during the entire year. A lower daily bag limit for recreational fisheries is also fixed in the Bay of Biscay.
