Brussels, 03/06/2015 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission adopted a communication on Tuesday 2 June setting out the principles underpinning proposals on fishing opportunities for 2016.
The member states, advisory councils, stakeholders and the public are invited to submit recommendations and suggestions to the Commission by 1 October 2015.
The Commission notes substantial progress in achieving the target of MSY (maximum sustainable yield), with 32 of the 62 MSY-assessed stocks currently at sustainable levels in the EU waters of the Atlantic, the North Sea and the Baltic.
Pelagic fisheries in the Atlantic and, in general, demersal fisheries in the North Sea and the Baltic saw improvements, says the Commission in its communication. The situation remains of concern in some parts of the western waters.
Fishing opportunities for 2016 will be set in accordance with the objectives of the new common fisheries policy (CFP). Commission proposals on these fishing opportunities will be rooted in the best available biological advice. When no advice exists, the Commission will apply the precautionary approach.
2016 is the year in which the landing obligation for demersal fisheries in the North Sea and the EU's Atlantic waters comes into force. Thus a significant proportion of the EU fleet in the north-east Atlantic will be required to haul in and retain on board, then land all catches. In determining fishing opportunities for species subject to the landing obligation account must be taken of catches and not landings, based on biological advice and on the understanding that they must not compromise the objective of maximum sustainable yield.
The considerable progress made by the Council in setting TACs in line with MSY (from 5 in 2009 to 36 in 2015) has helped increase the number of stocks exploited at levels corresponding to MSY (26 in 2015) . The Commission intends to propose TACs that will allow MSY to be achieved in 2016.
The Commission is particularly concerned by the situation in the Mediterranean. Specific measures are needed for MSY to be achieved. The Commission intends to remedy the situation, beginning with the stocks fished (almost) exclusively by EU fleets. In 2015-2016, the Commission intends to propose EU multiannual plans in line with the objective of MSY and set time-scales for the Mediterranean: a plan for anchovy and sardine in the northern Adriatic and a plan for demersal species in the north-west of the Mediterranean. Discussions with the member states and stakeholders on other EU multiannual plans have begun (on, for example, demersal species in the Adriatic Sea and small pelagic species in the north-west of the Mediterranean). The Commission has also evaluated national management plans to check that they reflect the MSY objective sufficiently.
Atlantic sea bass. The Atlantic sea bass stock (in the south of the North Sea and in the Channel, towards the Celtic Sea and the Atlantic) is in very poor condition. The emergency measures put in place by the Commission in January of this year to protect spawning grounds saw the closure of pelagic trawling for sea bass and the Council set limits for recreational fishing catches in all EU waters. Further management measures were proposed by the Commission in 2015 (monthly catch limits for various fisheries that have an impact on sea bass and an increase in mesh size). The Commission will propose sustainable management measures for the sea bass stock in a proposal for a multiannual plan for western waters. (Lionel Changeur)