Final decision on total allowable catch for fisheries in 2010
The Council is to agree on the total allowable catch (TAC) for the most important fish stocks for 2010. This primarily concerns fisheries in the Atlantic and the North Sea.
The EU’s fisheries ministers each year decide on the TAC and quotas for the EU’s fishing fleet. The quotas are based on the biological situation of fish stocks, which is established by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). The rules not only address quotas but also establish how long fishermen are allowed to spend at sea.
The TAC is then shared out among the Member States according to an established system of national quotas. The system means that each Member State receives a set percentage of the fishing opportunities for different fish stocks. The Council’s annual decision on the total allowable catch is the most important management tool of the fisheries policy.
A first compromise proposal will be presented on Monday. Bilateral meetings between the countries will follow and continue throughout the day and the evening. It is hoped that a final compromise proposal can be agreed upon on Tuesday.
