Brussels, 24/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - In mid July, the Council of the EU adopted, by written procedure, a regulation providing for an 18% increase, to 20,100 tonnes, of the total allowable catch (TAC) for anchovy in the waters of the Bay of Biscay. This TAC will cover the fishing season to run from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015. Spain holds 90% of this total and France 10%.
As of 1 January 2015, anchovy fishing in the Bay of Biscay will be subject to the landing obligation laid down in the reform of the common fisheries policy (CFP), as part of the phasing-out of discards at sea. Consequently, anchovy catches for this fishery must be brought on board and held on the fishing vessels and must be registered, landed and set against quotas, according to the regulation, which has already been published in the Official Journal of the EU. (LC)