In the early hours of Wednesday, after two days of intensive negotiations, the Fisheries Council has reached agreement over fishing opportunities for 2017 based on the stated aim of achieving maximum sustainable yields by 2017 where possible, and by 2020 at the latest, while taking into consideration duly justified socio-economic factors.
The EU Commission has proposed fishing opportunities for the Black Sea for 2017, which affect Romania and Bulgaria as the only EU nations with Black Sea coastlines.
Negotiations to finalise fish catching opportunities for 2017 will begin at the annual EU Fisheries Council meeting in Brussels on Monday 12th of December.
Europêche and EAPO are calling on EU Member State Ministers to take into account the integrity of European fisheries when deciding on TACs and Quotas for 2017 as the Council of Ministers takes place next week.
Iceland’s minister of agriculture and fisheries has allocated regional quotas, under one of the two regional quota schemes.
The European Commission has set out its proposals for the Atlantic and North Sea next year ahead of this year’s December Fisheries Council. Under these, hake looks positive with a proposal for a substantial quota increase, but the outlook for sea bass is grim.
Iceland’s Ministry of Industries and Innovation, which includes the fisheries and agriculture briefs, has set the regional quotas for the 2016-17 quota year that opens on 1st September.
Iceland’s Pirate Party stands to make some significant gains in the next general elections, due to be held in October. The Pirates have repeatedly polled high as attitudes to the country’s political parties have been assessed, and could become a major political force in a future government.
The sale of a substantial amount of quota to HB Grandi recently has re-ignited the debate in Iceland over whether or local authorities should have the right to step in when quota is sold from one district to another.
HB Grandi has agreed to purchase groundfish quotas equalling 1600 cod-equivalent tonnes at a price of ISK 3950 million (€29.55 million) from Hafnarnes VER in Thorlákshöfn.