Member States’ ambassadors to the EU (Coreper) confirmed on Wednesday 11 December the existence of an agreement on total allowable catches (TACs) and measures to restrict fishing effort in the Mediterranean and Black seas (see EUROPE 12344/8).
After the entry into force of the multiannual plan for demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean (see EUROPE 12270/40), the Regulation provides for fishing opportunities, expressed in terms of maximum allowable fishing effort (fishing days), for the Member States concerned (Spain, France and Italy). Trawlers targeting the following species will be affected by a 10% decrease in fishing days in 2020: giant red shrimp, red shrimp, European hake, red mullet, Norway lobster and deep-water rose shrimp.
The Regulation prohibits EU fishing vessels from fishing for eel in the Mediterranean for a period of three consecutive months to be determined by each Member State.
The Regulation sets catch levels and fishing effort for small pelagics in the Adriatic (101,711 tonnes for anchovy and sardines) and a restriction on fishing effort (expressed in kilowatt-days of fishing) for demersal species in the Adriatic.
Black Sea. For turbot, quotas of 75 tonnes for Bulgaria and 75 tonnes for Romania are planned. For sprat, the TAC is 11,475 tonnes (8,032.50 tonnes for Bulgaria), as in 2019.
See the text of the agreement: http://bit.ly/36tuGR1 (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)