In its proposals updated on Tuesday 25 November concerning fishing opportunities in the Mediterranean for 2026, the European Commission has acknowledged that trawlers remain the main source of mortality for demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean (see EUROPE 13714/3).
According to the non-paper that has been published, for 2026, the Commission is therefore proposing a 65% reduction in fishing effort for French and Spanish trawlers in EMU (Effort Management Unit) 1 (GSAs, or Geographical Sub-Areas, 1-2-5-6-7), and a 64% reduction for EMU 2 (GSAs 8-9-10-11, Italy and France).
Spain has already indicated that it finds such proposals unacceptable (see EUROPE 13752/2).
Compensation mechanisms. The Commission is proposing to compensate vessels that do not fish vulnerable stocks in the areas concerned, for example in the form of additional fishing days, in order to ensure a level playing field between GSAs.
Additional measures are also planned: - encouraging the use of more selective gear, such as larger mesh sizes in trawls; - establishing effective closure areas to protect juveniles and spawners.
Vulnerable stocks. In accordance with the management plan for the western Mediterranean, the Commission is proposing corrective measures to ensure the recovery of hake and Norway lobster stocks: - ban on otter-twin trawls (OTTs), which increase fishing efficiency and the mortality of the species covered; - catch limits for hake caught in gillnets and trammel nets; - minimum conservation reference size (MCRS) for Norway lobster.
Longliners. The Commission is also proposing to continue to set a maximum authorised fishing effort for longliners targeting hake: - EMU 1 (Spain, France): effort frozen compared with 2025; - EMU 2 (Italy, France): effort reduced by 25% compared with 2025 in order to prevent any increase in the mortality of hake spawners.
The proposal will be negotiated at the meeting of European fisheries ministers on 11 and 12 December in Brussels.
Link to the proposal: https://aeur.eu/f/jnp (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)