The Committee of Representatives of the Member States to the EU (Coreper) agreed on Wednesday 3 March on the mandate to be given to the European Commission to reach an agreement with the United Kingdom on fisheries opportunities for 2021 for stocks shared by both parties (see EUROPE 12663/10).
The formal decision on the EU position in these consultations with the United Kingdom will be taken through a written procedure which will end on Friday 5 March.
The text of the EU position, obtained by EUROPE (http://bit.ly/3rcWpQD ), underlines the need to ensure that Total Allowable Catches (TACs) respect the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), including maximum sustainable yield.
Among the principles adopted, inspired by the recent Commission proposal (see EUROPE 12656/10), are the following:
– for the TACs for Western Channel herring, plaice and sole to the west of Scotland, saithe in western waters, no advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has been received. Therefore, the EU should seek a renewal of these TACs at the 2020 level, as no risk of overfishing has been identified;
– scientists recommend a TAC of zero for the Celtic Sea cod stock. The Union will seek to introduce a TAC, but only for by-catches, while respecting the need for greater protection of this vulnerable stock.
More flexibility for the first few months of the year. Coreper also agreed on a text amending the TAC and quota regulation for 2021.
In December 2020, the EU Council decided that the provisional TACs (January to March 2021) for the stocks managed with the United Kingdom corresponded to 25% of the share of the Union’s fisheries opportunities set for 2020.
This text (https://bit.ly/3cd8vmH ) foresees another (higher) percentage for fish stocks fished especially at the beginning of the year (blue whiting, whiting, anglerfish, Norway lobster, undulate rays...). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)