Brussels, 20/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday morning European fisheries ministers reached a political agreement in Brussels on the total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas for 2013 in the waters of the Atlantic, North Sea and English Channel. The catch levels for many stocks will remain the same as 2012 (sprat, pollack, some stocks of plaice, of hake, of megrims, and cod from the Celtic Sea). The biggest reductions concern haddock (up to -65%), Norway lobster in the North Sea (-21%), cod in the Irish Sea (-25%), and skate in the Irish Sea (-10%). Increases in catch volumes are planned for certain stocks of whiting (+29% in the Celtic Sea), of sole (in the English Channel), of hake (+15% for Southern hake), of Norway lobster (+18% in Scottish waters and +6% in the English Channel and Celtic Sea) and of plaice (+26% in the English Channel). There is a ban - against which France fought - on fishing and landing marbled ray. The French minister, Frédéric Cuvillier, who was moreover very pleased with the compromise on the TACs and quotas, called for a management plan for marbled ray so as to eventually authorise its fishing in some zones.
One of the main results of this Fisheries Council, which was quite difficult, concerns the freeze on authorised fishing days for cod in the English Channel - a British, and particularly Danish, priority. France and Spain agreed on renewing catches of Northern hake, while the European Commission originally proposed a reduction of 30%. France, the United Kingdom and Ireland in particular obtained a reasonable reduction of catches of haddock in the Celtic Sea (-15% when the Commission originally proposed a reduction of 55%).
The Cypriot Presidency noted that the compromise allows sustainable fishing to be promoted which does not endanger the stocks, and which aims to exploit them so as to reach the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) in 2015 when it is possible, and by 2020 at the latest - in line with the Council's agreement in principle of last June on the common fisheries policy (CFP) reform. The agreement ensures the viability of the sector and a fair income for European fishermen, the Cypriot minister said.
European Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Maria Damanki said that the Commission's proposal was more ambitious but she thought that this compromise was “satisfactory”, firstly because “we have better scientific advice for fish stocks”. Last year there were 61% of stocks without scientific advice, and now there are only 15%. Damanaki said that if they continued in this way, they would have scientific advice for all stocks in five years' time. For the great majority of fish stocks for which there is scientific advice, the MSY will be reached in 2015. However, there are four stocks for which the MSY will be reached in 2017, and this is to avoid too big a discard. “It is not a dream.” “We can have healthy stocks, more jobs and more income for our coastal communities”, Damanaki said.
For the stocks for which there is no scientific advice, but for which a negative trend has been observed, the Council has provided for a 5% reduction in catches (for example, of monkfish) as a precautionary principle, Damanki stated (Ed: she originally proposed systematic 20% decreases but, under pressure from the member states, she had to become less strict). She hopes that decisions will be finalised next year between the European Council and the European Parliament on the CFP reform.
The following is an overview of the main TACs and quotas for 2013 in the waters of the Atlantic, English Channel and North Sea:
Anchovy: +5% in Spanish and Portuguese waters
Cod: -25% in Kattegat, +1% in the English Channel and Celtic Sea
Greater silver smelt: between -5% and -12%
Haddock: -30% in Scottish waters and -15% in the Celtic Sea
Herring: -18% in the English Channel and Celtic Sea and -5% elsewhere
Megrims: +5% in the North Sea, status quo elsewhere
Monkfish: -5% in all zones, except -23% in the Southern waters of Spain and Portugal
Northern hake: 2012 TAC maintained at over 55,000 tonnes
Pollack: 2012 TAC maintained in all zones
Saithe: -5%
Sole: -3.5% in the Bay of Biscay, increases in the English Channel, and status quo in Spanish and Portuguese waters
Southern hake: +15%
Sprat: Status quo
Tusk: +21%
Whiting: +29% in the Celtic Sea. (LC/transl.fl)