On Friday 7 June, the European Commission called on Member States and operators in the sector to step up their efforts to achieve the objective of eliminating overfishing by 2020.
The Commission has adopted a Communication reviewing the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and launching a public consultation on fishing opportunities for the year 2020. European ministers will be invited to react to this document at their meeting in Luxembourg on 18 June. The fishing quotas for 2020 will be set by the EU fisheries ministers in November and December 2019.
The European Commissioner for Fisheries, Karmenu Vella, welcomed the fact that “our persistent action to restore the health of our shared fish resources are bearing fruit”. Although fishermen's earnings are increasing, many stocks are still being fished without respecting the Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY). However, the deadline for achieving this is 2020 (2025 for stocks in the Mediterranean). “For this, we need to step up our actions and deliver on what we set out to achieve”, says Mr Vella. He welcomes the fact that the biomass of fish stocks in the North-West Atlantic and adjacent areas is 36% higher today than in 2003.
But “many stocks remain overexploited and/or outside safe biological limits”, the communication states. The number of total allowable catches in the North-West Atlantic that comply with MSY increased from 56 to 59 between 2018 and 2019, “representing 78% of all TACs for assessed stocks", the Commission’s Communication states.
The situation in the Mediterranean and in the Black Sea “remains worrying”: 35 of the 40 stocks assessed were exploited beyond sustainable levels in 2017.
Should the United Kingdom leave the EU without a deal on or before 31 October 2019, as agreed by the European Council, the EU and the United Kingdom will have to consult each other on the common management objectives for the stocks they share.
In addition, the Commission insists on monitoring and enforcing compliance with the rules on the landing obligation of fish (resulting from decisions on the end of discards at sea) and hopes that the EU institutions will reach agreement as soon as possible on the proposal for a revised Fisheries Control System. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)