The European Commission adopted its proposals on Thursday 6 October, reducing fishing opportunities for deep water fish species in the waters of the EU and the international waters of the North-East Atlantic for 2017 and 2018.
Deep-sea fisheries account for about 1% of all fish caught in the North-East Atlantic. Over the years, fishing activity and associated jobs have been declining as stocks become more and more scarce.
The proposal seeks to reverse this trend, the Commission says in a press release. On the basis of the scientific advice published by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES), the Commission proposes to keep the total allowable catch (TAC) unchanged for one stock and to reduce the TACs for ten stocks in order to prevent their being over-exploited.
Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella said: “For stocks to proliferate and for our industry to get back on its feet, moderate cuts are necessary for 2017-2018”.
The Commission has not yet proposed TACs for deep-sea sharks (the scientific advice is expected later this month but it should be borne in mind that TACs have been set at zero for these species).
The Commission, after looking into the scientific advice and the underlying reported catches by the member states, will bring forward a proposal on stocks of roughhead and roundnose grenadier by mid-October. Spain mounted a challenge to the November 2014 Council decision on these two species in the Court of Justice (and the opinion of the Advocate General partly upholds the complaint). Spain believes it should have had more fishing rights for roundnose grenadier.
Scientific data for the other deep-sea stocks is limited and precautionary cuts are proposed. This is the case for the 4 stocks of greater fork-beard, where the Commission proposes TAC cuts of 20%. It also proposes cuts of up to 20% per year for black scabbardfish.
Red sea-bream stocks in the Celtic Sea, the English Channel and Bay of Biscay are seriously depleted. As red sea-bream is an unavoidable by-catch in other fisheries the proposal includes a cut of 20%. The Commission also proposes to add orange roughy to the list of prohibited species.
European fisheries ministers will adopt the 2017-2018 deep water species TACs in November. The new rules on deep water trawling will come into effect at the start of 2017 (see EUROPE 11592). These ban trawling at depths of more than 600 metres, a “footprint freeze” (vessels will be required to fish only in zones where fishing was conducted between 2009 and 2011), more robust on-board monitoring and sanctions, and greater transparency in the fishery. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)