EU tallies new Atlantic, Med, Black Sea fishing quotas

“We had intense negotiations spanning over three days. For the Commission and me personally, it was important to reach an agreement that is both balanced and responsible – preserving fishers’ livelihoods in the long term, and improving the chances for stock recovery and healthier stocks,” Sinkevičius said.

In the Northeast Atlantic, the Council set 14 total allowable catches (TACs) in line with maximum sustainable yield (MSY) advice as proposed by the European Commission. This includes an increase for megrims, anglerfish, hake, horse mackerel in the Iberian waters, as well as undulate rays.

The Council also followed the Commission’s proposal to set a TAC at a low level for Norway lobster in Skagerrak and Kattegat and for plaice in Kattegat to protect cod.

In the Bay of Biscay, decreases were agreed for Norway lobster, sole, seabass, pollack and whiting. In addition, the agreement includes measures for recreational catches for pollack. On eels in the Northeast Atlantic, the agreement clarifies that the closure period must cover the peak migration period in marine waters across the EU.

The Fishing Opportunities Regulation includes the results of the agreements reached ahead of the Council with Norway and the UK on a bilateral basis, and between the three parties jointly, as well as with other coastal states. Stocks shared with third-countries result in fishing opportunities for the EU in the next year of over 1.6 million tonnes and worth almost €2.2 billion (adjusted for inflation).

Meanwhile, for the western Mediterranean, ministers agreed to continue the implementation of the EU multiannual management plan (MAP) for demersal stocks, adopted in June 2019. According to scientific advice, the goal of MSY by 1 January 2025 can be achieved by making use of the management tools and other flexibility elements available under the plan. The agreement, therefore, continues the reduction of the trawling fishing effort by 9.5%, combined with the implementation of additional management tools, such as reduced catch limits for deep-water shrimps and continuing the effort freeze for longliners.

Furthermore, to strengthen ecosystem resilience, the regulation expands the compensation mechanism, granting gradually from 4.5% to 6% additional fishing days for trawlers, depending on the number of additional conservation measures implemented by the vessels. The Commission said this provision rewards the use of more selective gears, the establishment of more efficient closure areas to protect juveniles and spawners, and greater use of minimum conservation reference size (MCRS) for the protection of juvenile hake.

All agreed measures will help to reduce fishing mortality, while minimising the socio-economic impact on the fleets, the Commission said.

The agreement also incorporates into EU law the management measures for common dolphinfish in the Mediterranean, adopted in November by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM). Measures include catch limits, maximum number of fish aggregating devices (FADs) and maximum fleet capacity levels.

The agreement also continues the implementation of MAPs for deep-water shrimps in the Strait of Sicily, the Ionian and the Levant Seas. Compared to 2023 levels, catch limits for these species with high commercial value are reduced by 3% and are combined with fleet management measures.

Also based on the provisions of the MAPs, in the Strait of Sicily, the regulation continues the reduction of the fishing effort for hake, combined with a capacity freeze for all the fleets.

In the Alboran Sea, to ensure stock recovery, the catch limits for the blackspot seabream are reduced by 7% compared to 2023 limits, combined with fleet capacity limitations and recreational fishing restrictions.

In the Adriatic Sea, the agreement continues the implementation of measures for the management of the small pelagic species and demersal stocks, based on the provisions of the GFCM multiannual management plans.

For small pelagics, there’s a catch reduction of 5% for anchovy and 9% for sardines compared to 2023 levels and a fishing capacity ceiling.

For demersal stocks, the regulation sets new EU effort levels with a further reduction of 4% for demersal trawlers and roll-over of effort levels of 2023 for beam trawlers.

Finally, for the Black Sea, the regulation incorporates the GFCM decisions to roll-over the TAC for turbot, as well as to carry over the unused EU turbot quotas from 2022 to 2024. The Black Sea sprat quotas remain at 2023’s level.