Brussels, 06/07/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 8 July, the European Commission will set out for member states' experts its proposal on the total allowable catch (TAC) for anchovy in the Bay of Biscay for the period from 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011. European fisheries ministers are expected to approve this regulation at their meeting in Brussels on 12 July. This will be the first time that the Commission has proposed a TAC for this period, since, previously, catch limits were set at the end of the year along with the other TACs.
The Commission is expected to propose a TAC of 15,600 tonnes for the fishing season from 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011, to be shared thus: Spain, 14,040 tonnes, France, 1,560 tonnes (but, thanks to an arrangement between the two counties, France's allocation is likely to rise to 3,220 tonnes).
In December of last year, the Council set a TAC of 7,000 tonnes for the anchovy stock in the Bay of Biscay, allowing the Commission to revise this TAC in the light of scientific information gathered in the first half of 2010. In its opinion, the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) estimates the biomass of the stock to be some 350 tonnes (well below the precautionary level). To set the TAC, the Commission made use of the provisions in its draft regulation of 29 July 2009 establishing a long-term plan for the anchovy stock in the Bay of Biscay. The Council and Parliament are currently considering the proposal on the anchovy management plan. (L.C./transl.rt)