The European Commission adopted, on Wednesday 4 March, a proposal amending the 2019 regulation on Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and quotas for 2020 in the Baltic, "to allow scientific fishing during closed periods of the spawning grounds established for the two cod stocks" (see EUROPE 12349/12).
In addition, the proposal provides for technical adjustments to the Atlantic TAC and Quota Regulation 2020.
Regulation 2019/1838 establishes closed periods during the spawning season for the two Baltic cod stocks to ensure undisturbed spawning with a view to higher recruitment.
At the same time, it is essential to allow scientific investigations to be carried out during these closed periods. The Commission argues, “the interruption of the data time series would have a very negative impact on the scientific assessment of the stocks which is the basis for setting fishing opportunities”.
Update for the launch. Sandeel is a short-lived species and the scientific advice becomes available in the second half of February, while the fishery starts already in April. In EU Council Regulation 2020/123 on 2020 quotas in the Atlantic, Channel and North Sea, the TAC limits were set at zero.
The proposal also incorporates decisions of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) on tropical tuna.
Link to the proposal (Annex): http://bit.ly/32RnKfP (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)