The European Commission has published its proposal to set TACs for 18 fish stocks in the EU waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Kattegat and Skagerrak for 2024 – and for the first time is proposing multi-annual TACs for two or three years for nine of the relevant stocks.
Increases for 2024 are for plaice in the Kattegat, with a proposed 19% lift. For hake in the southern Bay of Biscay, Iberian waters and waters around the Azores, the proposal is for an increase of 10%, in accordance with the Western Waters Multi-Annual Plan. In Iberian waters, the Commission proposes increases of 11% for megrim and and 7% for anglerfish.
Nine TACs have been proposed for two or three years ahead, instead of on a yearly basis – with reductions. The stocks concerned are those of plaice (West of Ireland), whiting and pollack (Bay of Biscay), plaice (Iberian Waters), Norway lobster (Bay of Biscay – FU25), sole (Irish waters), and sole (Iberian waters).
A further five stocks managed solely by the EU are still awaiting scientific advice (anchovy in the Bay of Biscay, three stocks of Norway lobster, cod in the Kattegat), while the TAC for anchovy in the Iberian waters and waters around the Azores has already been set until June 2024.
Figures for the TACs for which scientific advice is not yet available or for which consultations with non-EU countries are ongoing are currently marked in the proposal as ‘pm’ or pro memoria. These figures will be included in the proposal when the advice becomes available or the consultations are concluded, through so-called ‘non-papers’ and will be published by the Commission.
In 2023, ICES reiterated that the status of the eel stock remains critical and there should be zero catches in all habitats and at all life stages. Pending the new ICES advice for 2024, expected in November, the Commission proposes to maintain the existing measures for the protection of eels in all relevant EU waters, specifically in the Atlantic, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean. The closure in the north-east Atlantic should cover the main migration period of the respective life stage. In the Skagerrak-Kattegat and Baltic Sea, the closure periods should be agreed between the Member States concerned so as to ensure the protection of eel migrating out of the Baltic Sea into the North Sea. As for the Mediterranean Sea, the proposal might be updated after the 2023 annual meeting of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean to take into account possible additional measures for the Mediterranean adopted at that meeting.
Final decisions on the Commission’s proposals will be taken at the council of ministers on 11-12th December.
‘Today’s proposal reflects the collective achievement of fishers, Member States and the Commission to collect fisheries data and allow science to have a better understanding of the stocks dynamics,’ commented Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius.
‘We have seen an increase in the number of stocks that can be fished at the maximum levels allowing for their sustainability, which speaks of the good recovery of the stocks. Also, for the first time, we are setting catch limits in the Atlantic for several years ahead which was a recurring and legitimate demand from fishers to increase predictability for their business.’
