Brussels, 18/12/2013 (Agence Europe) - In late afternoon on Tuesday 17 December, European fisheries ministers reached agreement at the end of the afternoon on a political agreement on total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas for 2014 in the waters of the Atlantic, Channel and North Sea. Hake, anglerfish and blue whiting fishermen will be pleased, but those fishing for cod, sole, saithe, herring, haddock and whiting will not be so happy.
An initial compromise text was presented by the Lithuanian Presidency on Tuesday afternoon, which did not entirely satisfy some of the delegations (Spain, Portugal, France, Ireland and others) and another one was presented at the end of the afternoon, with a few last-minute changes. Maria Damanaki, the commissioner for fisheries, welcomed the excellent result that showed that reform of common fisheries policy is on track. In 2015, 30 different fish stocks will be managed according to the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) principle and only 12 stocks will still lack scientific data (51 in 2011).
Significant increases in 2014 quotas were decided for: - blue whiting (+72% in the northern waters: 157,653 tonnes, +24% in southern waters: 24,375 t); - northern hake (+49%, 81,846 tonnes); - boarfish) (+55% to 127,509 tonnes); - anglerfish in the Celtic Sea and West Scotland (+15% to 33,516 tonnes) and in the Bay of Biscay (+15% to 8,980 tonnes) and mackerel (provisional TAC of 380,000 tonnes or minimum increase of 17%).
The biggest reductions affect: - anglerfish (-33% in the Celtic Fish and Bay of Biscay, to 9,479 tonnes, although the Commission initially proposed -75%, - 41% in the North Sea, to 20 635 tonnes); - cod (,32% in, Skagerrak, to 2,562 tonnes, -42% in the North Sea, to 15,382 tonnes, -33% to 6,848 tonnes in the Celtic Sea, -30% in the eastern Channel); - Atlantic horse mackerel (-27% to 11,4712 tonnes in northern waters, -26% in Spanish waters, but +17% in Portuguese waters); - whiting (-40% in the North Sea, 10,261 tonnes, -22% in the Celtic Sea, to 19,162 t, but extension of the TAC in the Bay of Biscay); - herring (-31% to 197,400 tonnes in the North Sea but +30% in Celtic Sea waters, to 22,360 tonnes); - sole (-15% in the North Sea, to 11,850 t, -25% in the eastern Channel, -7% in the Bay of Biscay), plaice (-20% in the North Sea, -25% in the Irish Sea, -17% in the Channel); - saithe (-40% in the North Sea, to 26,053 tonnes).
For langoustine, an 11% reduction was decided for the North Sea (to 15,499 tonnes), a 7% reduction in the Celtic Sea and no change in the Bay of Biscay.
Undulate ray. The Council decided to reduce the TAC for ray fish by 10%. France fought and won the end to the ban on catching undulate ray, even though a 0% quota had been set out for 2014. This paves the way for management measures in 2015. Studies carried out by fishermen and scientists also helped to achieve this progress, said the minister from France, Frédéric Cuvillier. (LC/transl.fl)