EU fisheries ministers reached unanimous political agreement at around 8.00pm in the evening of Monday 14 November on total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas for deep-sea species for 2017 and 2018.
The agreement, which has still to be formally adopted by the Council, reduces the 2017 and 2018 TACs for most stocks of black scabbardfish (12% annual reduction for the northern stock and a 10% reduction for the southern stock), red seabream (cuts of 10% for the northern stock and 5% for the southern stock) and the greater forkbeard (reduction of 11% per year). In 2017, the roundnose grenadier will be fished in accordance with the principle of maximum sustainable yield (which aims to avoiding overfishing) but this will require a 25% cut in the TAC for 2017 (then an increase of 2% in 2018). One TAC remains unchanged: that of red seabream fished in the Azores. In the North Atlantic, red seabream quotas can only be used to cover bycatches, in order to protect the stock, “which is at a historically low level and near collapse”, the European Commission says in a press release.
Scientific quota for deep sea sharks. The member states gave the green light to a scientific quota (Ten tonnes unavoidable bycatch) for deep-sea sharks, in order to better assess the resource. “We agreed on a small trial bycatch quota for deep-sea sharks which will allow scientists to help us better understand the state of these stocks”, said European Environment Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella at a press conference. The catch level for vulnerable shark species in EU waters and the international waters of the North-East Atlantic has been set at zero since 2012.
Scallops. The French minister, Alain Vidalies, was able to hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Council with Commissioner Vella and his counterparts George Eustice, of the UK, and Michael Creed, of Ireland, “to make each of them aware of France’s concerns over European management of scallops in the Eastern Channel”, the French government said in a press release. Thanks to his efforts, high-level discussions will be held to draw up a harmonised management plan, as recommended by the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF), according to France. France points out that, on the initiative of its scallop fishermen, it has already put in place sustainable management of this stock. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)