Sustainable North Sea fisheries: MEPs and ministers strike provisional deal

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  Clear rules on how EU ministers can set the Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and quotas
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  Quotas based on best available scientific advice
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  Recreational fisheries included

A multiannual fisheries plan to tackle overfishing and offer more security to North Sea fishermen was agreed by MEPs and EU ministers on Thursday.

The second multiannual fisheries plan under the new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) would govern the management of fishing for demersal species living near the bottom of the sea, which account for 70% of catches in the North Sea (zones IIa, IIIa and IV).

The complexity of North Sea mixed fisheries makes it impossible to target and catch only one species and the plan is tailored to reflect this, partly by covering different stocks. The long-term sustainable exploitation of these stocks should guarantee the security of fishing stocks and the livelihoods of fishing communities.

The new rules would:

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  set the ranges (minimum-maximum) within which EU ministers can set the yearly Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and quotas,
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  allow new scientific evidence to be quickly taken on board when fixing the quotas,
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  suspend and/or reduce fishing for one particular stock when scientific advice indicates a stock is in danger,
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  include recreational fisheries, and
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  base all measures on the “best available scientific advice”

Regionalisation: cooperation between member states

Countries which are directly affected by an issue would be able to submit joint recommendations, i.e. if there is an abrupt change in the situation of a stock. The EU Commission would then draft “delegated acts”, based on these joint recommendations, to tackle the problem.

Agreements with non-EU countries

MEPs added a new article stating that “where stocks of common interest are also exploited by third countries, the Union shall engage with those third countries with a view to ensuring that these stocks are managed in a sustainable manner”.

Quote

Ulrike Rodust (S&D, DE) said: “With the North Sea being one of our most important fishing grounds, it is crucial to ensure that stocks are exploited in a sustainable manner, including after Brexit i. We added a new article stating that that ‘shared stocks’ need to equate to shared responsibility. A management of North Sea fisheries that is consistent with the goals of the CFP reform offers better prospects for fishermen, by ensuring long-term sustainability”

Next steps

The provisional agreement will need now to be formally approved by the Fisheries Committee and the full House.

Quick facts

North Sea demersal fishing represents over 70% of the sector in this area, involving several thousand vessels from at least the seven bordering member states (i.e. Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and United Kingdom). Demersal catches were worth more than €850 million (2012), with the highest total value of landings by species for sole, followed by plaice, Norway lobster (also called Nephrops), cod, saithe, haddock, turbot, anglerfish, whiting and lemon sole.

A multiannual management plan is the instrument for managing the fish stocks in a certain area. The fishing mortality rates are an essential part of it. They provide a basis to set Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and quotas. The norm set out in Article 2, paragraph 2 of the Basic Regulation for the Common Fisheries Policy is that exploitation restores and maintains "harvested species above levels which can produce the maximum sustainable yield (MSY)".

The first multiannual fisheries plan under the new CFP was the Baltic Sea plan officially adopted in July 2016.