The Pelagic RAC today expressed satisfaction with the North Sea herring TAC agreed as part of the EU Norway negotiations.
The parties set the 2007 TAC at 341.063 tonnes, which presents a 25% reduction of last year’s TAC instead of the 47% advised by ICES. The reduction comes as a result of low recruitment in the herring stock over the past four years, a problem for which the causes are still uncertain, but are not related to fishing.
This decision is in accordance with the majority recommendation that the Pelagic RAC presented to the Commission in early November which came after long deliberations in which the scientific as well as the biological and economic aspects were considered.
Pelagic RAC Chair, Iain MacSween, commented: “We welcome this sensible outcome for the North Sea herring TAC. The result indicates that the advice of the Pelagic RAC is being taken seriously and proves that the opinions of stakeholders are important to fisheries negotiators.”
