It is true that without conservation the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is nothing. CFP and measures aimed at calculating safe levels of capture and ensuring that they are respected are among the main measures under this policy. Setting total allowable catches (TACs) means fixing the maximum quantities of fish that can be landed from a specific stock over a given period of time.
It is informed that TACs are decided on a year-by-year basis by the Council of Fisheries Ministers at their meeting in December. The Council’s decision is the last stage in a long process involving scientists and, in many cases, fishermen from the Member States. The European Commission subsequently consults its own advisers – the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee on Fisheries (STECF), which is also made up of national experts. The Commission then analyses the various options and sets out proposals for the following year’s total allowable catches and the conditions under which they may be caught.
It is found that two types of multi-annual plans are now being put in place: recovery plans, to help rebuild stocks that are in danger of collapse; and management plans for stocks which are at safe biological levels, in order to ensure that they stay that way. As a general principle, the multi-annual plans stipulate that the variation in TACs from one year to the next cannot exceed 15%, whether the change is an increase or a reduction.
ICES is the leading independent authority for advice on the marine ecosystem to governments and international regulatory bodies that manage the North Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas. The Advisory Committee on Fishery Management (ACFM) is responsible, on behalf of the Council, for providing scientific information and advice on living resources and their harvesting.
