As per the proposal the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for turbot is 76 tonnes, a 25 percent reduction compared to 2009, and a TAC of 12,750 tonnes for sprat, unchanged from 2009. It is informed that two working groups of leading fisheries scientists from the Black Sea Region, and the Commission’s own Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee on Fisheries (STECF) have advised these proposals.
Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Joe Borg said explained that fisheries management in the Black Sea waters which belong to the European Union, has to be rational and science-based, following the same principles as anywhere else in the EU. Borg informed while we have been able to maintain the total catch limit for sprat, we had to propose a reduction for turbot since scientists have recently warned us of the poor situation of this stock.
It is observed that the proposal aims towards long-term sustainable exploitation of fish stocks in the Black Sea and can be seen as a continuation of the measures applicable for 2008 and 2009. The TAC of 12,750 tonnes for sprat won’t be allocated per quotas, while the TAC of 76 tonnes for turbot would be equally divided between Bulgaria and Romania.
The proposal is said to introduce new technical measures to assist in the recovery of the turbot fishery. The minimum mesh size permitted in this fishery has now been set at 400 mm and the phasing-out period that allowed the use of smaller nets to give the fleet time to adjust has now expired. In order to reduce discards, the practice of high-grading (i.e. discarding fish in view of a higher size/price catch) for any species subjected to quota shall be banned.
