During the Scientific Seminar on Fisheries Science on 14 September, the European Commission called on EU member states and parties concerned to step up their efforts with a view to attaining maximum sustainable yield (MSY), despite the not very reassuring outlook for 2019 (see EUROPE 12038).
Joao Aguiar Machado, DG MARE Director General, has said that, for 2019, scientific opinion points to reducing certain large total allowable catches (TAC) in the Atlantic, the Channel and the North Sea. He said it was not possible to control nature and that fishing possibilities may fluctuate according to recruitments. He underlined the need to keep up the effort towards attaining MSY.
The director general stated that 69% of fish stocks in the Atlantic are caught respecting MSY and that the size of the stocks has increased by 39% since 2003.
He went on to give his assurance that the Commission was doing everything possible to help countries to implement the landing obligation rule (end of discards) and to find solutions in order to prevent low quota stock (“choke species”) situations arising. The year 2019 is the deadline for implementing this rule on the end of discards at sea. This timeframe must be respected so as not to penalise fishermen who have already paid out money and made an effort to comply, he concluded (see EUROPE 12092). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)