On 4 September in Brussels, MEPs of the European Parliament's Committee on Fisheries welcomed the progress made towards achieving, by 2020 at the latest, a management of fishing activities in line with the principle of maximum sustainable yield (MSY). But some of them, as well as the Commission representatives, acknowledged that there was still a lot of work to be done to restore fish stocks.
The Parliament Committee on Fisheries held a debate on the state of fisheries resources after the presentation of the Commission's consultation document on total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas for 2020 (see EUROPE 12271/13).
The Commission recalled that in 2009, only 5 stocks were managed according to MSY, compared to 59 (out of 81 assessed) in 2019. “It is a good result, but it is a permanent project, we must not be complacent”, said a Commission representative. The Commission also recalled that spawning biomass continues to increase in the Atlantic, Channel and North Sea, where it is now 36% higher than in 2003. The number of stocks within safe biological limits has almost doubled, from 15 in 2003 to 29 in 2017. The improvement in the state of stocks has also boosted the economic performance of the EU fishing fleet, which generated €1.3 billion in net profits in 2017. Fishermen's wages are rising, the Commission also noted.
Another representative of the Commission noted that more work was needed on several stocks that were not yet in compliance with MSY: cod in the Celtic Sea, whiting in the west of Scotland, whiting in the Irish Sea, cod in the west of Scotland and herring in the west of Scotland. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)