Fishing boat
(BRUSSELS) – The European Commission presented its proposal Thursday for 2017 fishing quotas in the Atlantic and the North Sea, in preparation for the Fisheries Council in December.
This is the annual scheme for the amount of fish which can be caught by EU fishermen from the main commercial fish stocks next year, also referred to as Total Allowable Catches (TACs). The Commission, based on scientific advice received, proposes to maintain or increase the current fishing quotas for 42 stocks which are in good health, and reduce catches for 28 stocks which are faring poorly.
On the basis of the scientific advice received, the Commission proposes to maintain or increase the current fishing quotas for 42 stocks which are in good health, and reduce catches for 28 stocks which are faring poorly.
The Commission’s goal is “to bring stocks to healthy and sustainable levels as soon as possible so that our fishing industry can remain viable”, said Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella. “This is not up to the Commission alone: stakeholders are fundamental enablers in this process. We are proposing an ambitious programme for 2017 and the only way forward will be to work with fishermen, scientists and national authorities to develop real solutions that lead to fisheries that are both economically profitable and sustainable”.
Later this autumn the Commission will also propose some additional quotas, the so-called ‘quota top-ups’, for the fisheries that fall under the landing obligation in 2017. These extra quotas are granted on account of the fact that fishermen can no longer discard the fish caught unintentionally but have to land it. The allowed quota is therefore increased to facilitate the transition to the new system of no discards. The exact top-ups per fishery will be determined on the basis of scientific advice expected in mid-November and of the quantities that need to be landed according to the regional discard plans.
The proposal covers stocks managed by the EU alone and stocks managed with third countries, such as Norway, or through Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) across the world’s oceans. International negotiations for many of the stocks concerned are still ongoing and some stocks are awaiting scientific advice. For these, the figures will be included at a later stage, once the negotiations with third countries and within RFMOs have taken place.
The Commission’s proposal will now be submitted for discussion and adoption by the Ministers of Member States at the Fisheries Council in December, to be applied as from 1 January 2017.
Further information
See tables below for details on today’s proposals for the Atlantic and the North Sea
Note: The tables below only list EU stocks not shared with third countries
Table 1: Stocks with proposals for increased TAC
|
Common name |
Scientific name |
TAC Unit |
final TAC in 2016 |
TAC 2017 (Proposal) |
TAC change: 2016 – 2017 (Proposal) |
|
Anglerfish |
Lophius |
VIIIc, IX, X, CECAF 34.1.1 |
2569 |
3955 |
54.0% |
|
Common sole |
Solea solea |
VIIe |
979 |
1178 |
20.3% |
|
Common sole |
Solea solea |
IIIa; Union waters of Subdivisions 22-32 |
391 |
534 |
36.6% |
|
Common sole |
Solea solea |
VIIfg |
779 |
782 |
0.4% |
|
Haddock |
Melanogrammus |
VIIb-k, VIII, IX and X; Union waters of CECAF 34.1.1 |
7258 |
7751 |
6.8% |
|
Haddock |
Melanogrammus aeglefinus |
Union and international waters of VIb, XII and XIV |
3225 |
4130 |
28.1% |
|
Hake (overall N. TAC) |
Merluccius |
Overall northern TACs (IIIa / IIa and IV / Vb, VI, VII, XII and XIV / VIIIabde) |
108784 |
111865 |
2.8% |
|
Horse Mackerel |
Trachurus |
IX |
68583 |
73349 |
6.9% |
|
Norway lobster |
Nephrops |
IX and X; Union waters of CECAF 34.1.1 |
320 |
336 |
5.0% |
|
Norway lobster |
Nephrops |
IIIa; Union waters of Subdivisions 22-32 |
11001 |
12715 |
15.6% |
Table 2: Stocks with no changes in TAC[1]
|
Common name |
Scientific name |
TAC Unit |
final TAC in 2016 |
TAC 2017 (Proposal) |
TAC change: 2016 – 2017 (Proposal) |
|
Anchovy |
Engraulis |
IX and X; Union waters of CECAF 34.1.1 |
10622 |
10622 |
0.0% |
|
Cod |
Gadus morhua |
Kattegat |
370 |
370 |
0.0% |
|
Cod |
Gadus morhua |
VIa; Union and international waters of Vb east of 12º 00′ W |
0 |
0 |
0.0% |
|
Common sole |
Solea solea |
VIIIab |
3420 |
3420 |
0.0% |
|
Lemon sole and witch |
Microstomus kitt and Glyptocephalus cynoglossus |
IIa (EC), North Sea (EC) |
6391 |
6391 |
0.0% |
|
Megrims |
Lepidorhombus |
Union waters of IIa and IV |
2639 |
2639 |
0.0% |
|
Plaice |
Pleuronectes |
VIIa |
1098 |
1098 |
0.0% |
|
Turbot and Brill |
Psetta maxima & Scopthalmus rhombus |
Union waters of IIa and IV |
4488 |
4488 |
0.0% |
Table 3: Stocks with proposals for decreased TAC
|
Common name |
Scientific name |
TAC Unit |
final TAC in 2016 |
TAC 2017 (Proposal) |
TAC change: 2016 – 2017 (Proposal) |
|
Anglerfish |
Lophius |
VII |
33516 |
29534 |
-11.9% |
|
Anglerfish |
Lophius |
VIIIabde |
8980 |
7914 |
-11.9% |
|
Blue ling |
Molva dypterigia |
Int. waters of XII |
446 |
357 |
-20.0% |
|
Boarfish |
Caproidae |
Union and international waters of VI, VII and VIII |
42637 |
27288 |
-36.0% |
|
Cod |
Gadus morhua |
VIIb, VIIc, VIIe-k, VIII, IX and X; Union waters of CECAF |
4565 |
1447 |
-68.3% |
|
Common sole |
Solea solea |
VIIa |
40 |
7 |
-82.5% |
|
Common sole |
Solea solea |
VIId |
3258 |
2257 |
-30.7% |
|
Greater silver smelt |
Argentina silus |
Union and international waters of V, VI and VII |
4316 |
3453 |
-20.0% |
|
Hake |
Merluccius |
VIIIc, IX and X; Union waters of CECAF 34.1.1 |
10674 |
6838 |
-35.9% |
|
Herring |
Clupea |
VIa (S), VIIb, VIIc |
1630 |
1360 |
-16.6% |
|
Herring |
Clupea |
VIIa(1) |
4575 |
4127 |
-9.8% |
|
Herring |
Clupea |
VIIg(1), VIIh(1), VIIj(1) and VIIk(1) |
15442 |
14467 |
-6.3% |
|
Herring |
Clupea harengus |
Union and international waters of Vb, VIb and VIaN(1) |
4170 |
3480 |
-16.5% |
|
Megrims |
Lepidorhombus |
VIIIabde |
1802 |
1513 |
-16.0% |
|
Megrims |
Lepidorhombus |
Union and international waters of Vb; VI; |
5214 |
4900 |
-6.0% |
|
Megrims |
Lepidorhombus |
VII |
18254 |
13099 |
-28.2% |
|
Megrims |
Lepidorhombus |
VIIIc, IX and X; Union waters of CECAF 34.1.1 |
1363 |
1013 |
-25.7% |
|
Norway lobster |
Nephrops |
VIIIc |
48 |
0 |
-100.0% |
|
Norway lobster |
Nephrops |
Union waters of IIa and IV |
13700 |
13686 |
-0.1% |
|
Plaice |
Pleuronectes |
VIIde |
12446 |
10022 |
-19.5% |
|
Plaice |
Pleuronectes |
VIIfg |
420 |
405 |
-3.6% |
|
Plaice |
Pleuronectes |
VIIhjk |
135 |
108 |
-20.0% |
|
Plaice |
Pleuronectes platessa |
Kattegat |
2347 |
2065 |
-12.0% |
|
Pollack |
Pollachius pollachius |
VIIIabde |
1482 |
1186 |
-20.0% |
|
Pollack |
Pollachius pollachius |
VII |
13495 |
10796 |
-20.0% |
|
Sprat |
Sprattus |
VIIde |
5150 |
4120 |
-20.0% |
|
Whiting |
Merlangius |
VI; Union and international waters of Vb; international waters of XII and XIV |
213 |
0 |
-100.0% |
|
Whiting |
Merlangius |
VIII |
2540 |
2032 |
-20.0% |
Table 4: Stocks subject to late advice or ongoing negotiations
|
Common name |
Scientific name |
TAC Unit |
final TAC in 2016 |
|
Anglerfish |
Lophiidae |
Union waters of IIa and IV |
11267 |
|
Anglerfish |
Lophius |
VI; Union and international waters of Vb; international waters of XII and XIV |
6375 |
|
Blue ling |
Molva dypterigia |
Union and int. waters of Vb, VI, VII |
4746 |
|
Cod |
Gadus morhua |
VIIa |
146 |
|
Common sole |
Solea solea |
Union waters of IIa and IV |
13252 |
|
Dab and flounder |
Limanda limanda & Platichthys flesus |
Union waters of IIa and IV |
18434 |
|
Haddock |
Melanogrammus |
Vb,VIa |
6462 |
|
Haddock |
Melanogrammus |
VIIa |
1654 |
|
Horse Mackerel |
Trachurus |
Union waters of IIa, IVa; VI, VIIa-c,VIIe-k, VIIIa, VIIIb, VIIId and VIIIe; Union and international waters of Vb; international waters of XII and XIV |
107168 |
|
Horse Mackerel |
Trachurus |
Union waters of IVb, IVc and VIId |
11650 |
|
Horse Mackerel |
Trachurus |
VIIIc |
17235 |
|
Ling |
Molva molva |
Union and int. waters of VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XII, XIV |
10297 |
|
Ling |
Molva molva |
IV (EU) |
2912 |
|
Norway lobster |
Nephrops |
VI; Union and international waters of Vb |
16524 |
|
Norway lobster |
Nephrops |
VII |
23348 |
|
Norway lobster |
Nephrops |
VII – Porcupine Bank special condition |
1850 |
|
Norway lobster |
Nephrops |
VIIIabde |
3899 |
|
Norway pout |
Trisopterus esmarki |
IIIa, Union waters of IIa and IV |
129000 |
|
Picked dogfish |
Squalus |
Union and international waters of I, V, VI, VII, VIII, XII and XIV |
0 |
|
Picked dogfish |
Squalus |
Union waters of IIa and IV |
0 |
|
Picked dogfish |
Squalus |
Union waters of IIIa |
0 |
|
Sandeel |
Ammodytes |
Union waters of IIa, IIIa and IV |
79219 |
|
Skates and rays |
Rajidae |
Union waters of IIa and IV |
1313 |
|
Skates and rays |
Rajidae |
Union waters of IIIa |
47 |
|
Skates and rays |
Rajidae |
Union waters of VIa, VIb, VIIa-c and VIIe-k |
8032 |
|
Skates and rays |
Rajidae |
Union waters of VIII and IX |
3420 |
|
Skates and rays |
Rajidae |
VIId |
966 |
|
Sprat |
Sprattus sprattus |
Union waters of IIa and IV |
219500 |
|
Tusk |
Brosme brosme |
Union and international waters of V, VI and VII |
937 |
|
Whiting |
Merlangius |
VIIb-k |
22778 |
Table 5: Stocks for which the TAC is delegated to an individual member state
|
Common name |
Scientific name |
TAC Unit |
Delegated to |
|
Herring |
Clupea |
VI Clyde(1) |
United Kingdom |
|
Horse Mackerel |
Trachurus |
CECAF(Canaries) |
Spain |
|
Horse Mackerel |
Trachurus |
CECAF(Madeira) |
Portugal |
|
Horse Mackerel |
Trachurus |
X,CECAF(Azores) |
Portugal |
|
Penaeus shrimps |
Penaeus |
French Guyana |
France |
[1] This table [Table 2] does not include the stocks included in the Joint Statement by the Council and the Commission “Ad statement stable stocks” (see Council document PECHE 491, 15502/15 REV1). The TACs for data limited stocks included in this statement will be maintained for a further 2 years, unless the perception of the status of any of these stocks changes significantly during this period.
Source: European Commission
