Brussels, 16/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - It is expected that, on Thursday 18 December, EU fisheries ministers will adopt, without debate, a regulation establishing “a multi-annual plan for the stock of herring distributed to the west of Scotland and the fisheries exploiting that stock”. With this extension to a new species, the EU is pursuing its strategy of putting in place management or recovery plans for endangered stocks. The Council working group on fisheries has examined the proposal several times and, on 28 November, reached agreement on a compromise text from the French Presidency, which received the backing of the European Commission. Following this agreement, the Commission confirmed that 2009 total allowable catches (TACs) for herring to the west of Scotland would be reduced by 20% compared with 2008. The European Parliament adopted its opinion on 4 December (see EUROPE 9798). 60.4% of the west of Scotland herring TAC is for UK vessels (15.1% for Irish vessels).
Recent scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) indicates that the herring stock in the waters to the west of Scotland is being slightly overfished compared with the aim of a maximum sustainable yield.
According to the regulation, the appropriate management of the herring stock to the west of Scotland will be achieved by: - maintaining the fishing mortality rate at 0.25 per year for appropriate age groups when the spawning stock biomass level is equal to or above 75,000 tonnes; - maintaining the fishing mortality rate at no more than 0.2 per year for the appropriate age groups when the spawning stock biomass level is below 75,000 tonnes, but equal to or above 50,000 tonnes; - providing for the closure of the fishery if the spawning stock biomass level falls below 50,000 tonnes.
The objective will be attained within an annual variation in the TAC limited to 20% or 25% depending on the state of the stock.
Setting TACs. Every year, the Council will set the TAC applicable to the herring stock in the area west of Scotland for the following year. When STECF considers that the spawning stock biomass level will be equal to or above 75,000 tonnes, the TAC will be set at a level which will result in a fishing mortality rte of 0.25 per year. However, the annual variation in the TAC will be limited to 20%. When the STECF considers that the spawning stock biomass level will be below 75,000 tonnes but equal to or above 50,000 tonnes, the TAC will be set at a level which will result in a fishing mortality rate of 0.2 per year. The annual variation of the TAC will be limited, however, to: 20% if the spawning stock biomass level is estimated to be equal to or above 62,500 tonnes, but less than 75,000 tonnes; 25% if the spawning stock biomass level is estimated to be equal to or above 50,000 tonnes but less than 62,500 tonnes. When STECF considers that the spawning stock biomass level will be less than 50,000 tonnes, the TAC will be set at 0 tonnes. To be able to fish for herring in the waters to the west of Scotland, vessels must hold a special fishing permit. (L.C./transl.rt)