At their meeting in Luxembourg on Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 October, EU fisheries ministers will attempt to reach a political agreement on Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and quotas for 2025 in Baltic waters.
The negotiations will not be straightforward and could even be tricky according to two diplomatic sources on Friday 18 October, even though the work carried out on Sunday 20 October by BALTFISH, the Baltic Sea regional fisheries forum, currently chaired by Germany, will also contribute to the work of the EU Council in reaching an agreement.
Several countries are calling for the existing exception for small-scale fishermen using passive fishing gear to catch western herring to be maintained (the European Commission is proposing to abolish this derogation) and for recreational salmon fishing opportunities to be maintained (the European Commission has proposed a ban on recreational salmon fishing).
In addition, a delegation from a Scandinavian country is asking for a smaller increase in fishing opportunities for central Baltic herring than the amount proposed by the European Commission (who are proposing an increase of 108%). This is not the case for the majority of other Baltic Member States, who are in support of the proposal being tabled.
The Commission is also proposing to reduce the quotas allocated to unavoidable by-catches of cod in the Western Baltic (-73% to just 93 tonnes) and cod in the Eastern Baltic (-68% to 191 tonnes). Several delegations want to maintain the current by-catch levels for cod and to ease restrictions on sprat fisheries. The European Commission is also proposing a 42% reduction in the TAC for sprat (see EUROPE 13468/1).
Cormorants. Sweden, supported by the following Member States, will ask the Commission to present a proposal to include cormorants in Annex IIb of the Birds Directive as a species that can be hunted in Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Sweden, “in order to protect sensitive fish stocks”, according to a note from Sweden (https://aeur.eu/f/dyh ).
ICCAT. Fisheries ministers will hold a discussion with a view to providing the Commission with guidance on the position to be adopted by the EU at the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), to be held from 11 to 18 November. The ICCAT meeting will address a range of issues, including tropical tunas, bluefin tuna, sharks and enforcement measures. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)