During the night of 7-8 December, the Council, the European Parliament, and the European Commission reached agreement after 12 hours of tense negotiation on a new multi-annual management plan for demersal fish stocks in the North Sea (see EUROPE 11920).
The plan, part of the new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), is the first of this type agreed for the North Sea and the second EU multi-annual regional plan, following on from the Baltic Sea plan signed in 2016. It will govern the management of the demersal fishery, which accounts for 70% of fishing in the North Sea.
North Sea fisheries are particularly complex with the vessels of at least seven coastal member states (Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom) along with those of Norway operating there. The vessels use a variety of fishing gear and their catches are made up of a mix of different species (cod, haddock, whiting, sole, plaice and langoustine). This situation explains a considerable number of measures required.
In line with the Commission proposal, the Council at the European Parliament agreed ranges within which total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas will be set in future. The Council will then be able freely to set appropriate catch limits based on best scientific advice with the aim of achieving maximum sustainable yield (MSY), within these ranges.
The text states that, when scientific advice indicates that recreational fishing has a significant impact on stocks, the Council may decide to place a restriction on it when setting fishing opportunities.
In addition, the new rules will strengthen regional cooperation, giving member states and local fishing communities their say through joint recommendations.
The Council believes that this plan is consistent with the Baltic plan on cod, herring and sprat stocks, and so ensures a level playing field for all EU fishermen, no matter where they fish.
Brexit. “Since the North Sea is one of our main fishing grounds, it is crucial to ensure that stocks are fish sustainably, and that means after Brexit too. So we have added a new Article stating that ‘shared stocks’ (that are also fished by third countries, soon to include the United Kingdom) must form part of a shared responsibility”, said Ulrike Rodust (S&D, Germany) the European Parliament negotiator (see EUROPE 11862).
The agreement now has to be approved by Council experts then the compromise will be submitted to the European Parliament to be put to a first reading vote and lastly to the Council for final adoption.
European Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella said he was “very satisfied with the agreement which shows that the EU respects and maintains its ambitious commitment to more sustainable fishing”.
The NGO Oceana is of a different opinion, stating that the final agreement is disappointing. “Despite an optimistic vote in September at plenary session in the European Parliament to end overfishing, the key three EU institutions failed to reach an ambitious deal in the final negotiations, that would have ensured truly sustainable management of North Sea fisheries”, it said. It believes the proposed catch limit ranges will not guarantee full recovery of all fish stocks and will continue to make overfishing possible. (Original version in French)