The European Commission (EC) has presented its proposal for 2018’s fishing opportunities in the Atlantic and North Sea in readiness for the December Fisheries Council, taking place in Brussels on 11-12 December, where EU member states will agree next year’s quotas.
Of the 78 stocks, 53 fishing quotas are either increased or remain the same and 25 are reduced.
The Commission said that as the size of some key fish stocks is increasing – notably sole in the North Sea, northern hake and southern horse mackerel – so is the profitability of the fishing sector, which is estimated at EUR 1.5 billion (USD 1.7 billion) for 2017.
"Our fleet is becoming more profitable and that is because some of the EU's key fish stocks are healthier and more abundant. The perseverance of the fishermen and the responsible fisheries management decisions stand to prove that sustainability and profitability can go hand in hand. That being said now is not the time for complacency. We must continue our joint efforts to manage our seas and oceans in a way that works for the environment, for the economy and for future generations," said Karmenu Vella, EU Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.
Those stocks with proposed total allowable catch (TAC) increases include North Sea nephrops, four sole stocks and three plaice stocks in North Western waters, and megrims in South Western waters.
Of the 25 stocks with proposed decreases, 15 have reductions of less than 20 percent, but for plaice in the Celtic sea and whiting in West of Scotland and in the Irish Sea a zero TAC is proposed.
Furthermore, the EC proposes to prohibit fishing of eels in all EU waters, following scientific advice emphasizing the importance of ceasing all fisheries that target spawners, until there is clear evidence of improvement of the state of the stock.
Forty-four EU stocks are now fished at maximum sustainable yield (MSY), up from only five in 2009.
