The European Commission and the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU are currently working to define the position that the EU will defend in the bilateral EU/UK and trilateral EU/UK/Norway consultations on fisheries opportunities for 2023 and for certain deep-sea stocks for 2023 and 2024.
A detailed approach is proposed in a Council ‘non-paper’ dated 12 October.
For the various 46 total allowable catches (TACs) with scientific advice on maximum sustainable yield (MSY) in several areas (Celtic Sea, North Sea, Irish Sea, West of Scotland and English Channel), “the Union should seek to agree MSY-level TACs for 36 of these 46 TACs”, the document says.
These 36 TACs include 6 TACs for herring in the North Sea and Skagerrak.
For the TACs relating to cod in the Celtic Sea to the west of Scotland and in the Irish Sea, whiting in the Irish Sea, and herring in the Celtic Sea, the scientists recommend a TAC of zero. In line with the provisions of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), “the Union should seek to agree on a small TAC for by-catch”, the paper says. The EU and the UK hope to conclude negotiations on more than 100 jointly managed TACs in the North East Atlantic by 5 December (see EUROPE 13033/9).
Link to the document: https://aeur.eu/f/3LD (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)