On Wednesday 24 November, the European Commission completed its proposals of 17 September on fishing opportunities in the Mediterranean and Black Sea, including a 7.5% reduction in fishing effort in these waters (see EUROPE 12793/7).
With this ‘non-paper’, the Commission thus completes the missing elements of the initial proposal, in light of the decisions taken at the 44th annual meeting of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) and the data on the implementation of the Western Mediterranean Multi-annual Management Plan.
With regard to this management plan, scientific advice recommends a combination of management measures that aim to ensure that the fishery meets maximum sustainable yield (MSY) by January 2025.
“All stock assessments continue to show generalised overexploitation of hake and deep-water shrimp stocks, with high level of overfishing and risk of the stocks’ collapse”, says a Commission statement.
The Commission proposes a further 7.5% reduction in trawler effort in 2022 (equivalent reduction in 2021). The Commission also suggests a 7.5% reduction in effort for longliners in 2022.
The Commission is also proposing to introduce Total Allowable Catches (TACs) for deep-water shrimp. This package will be complemented by technical measures improving gear selectivity and introducing additional closure areas to protect juveniles and help strengthen ecosystem resilience, the Commission says.
Following the GFCM decisions in November, new elements have been added to the fishing opportunities in the Adriatic Sea, including: - rules on the new Adriatic multi-annual management plan for small pelagic species, in particular catch limits for anchovies and sardines and a fleet capacity ceiling for purse seiners and pelagic trawlers; - reduction of fishing effort for Adriatic demersal stocks. Link to the Commission document: https://bit.ly/3DSD65w (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)