Today, the Commission published its proposal to set catch limits, or total allowable catches (TACs), for 18 fish stocks in the EU waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Kattegat and Skagerrak for 2024. The proposal is based on scientific advice and covers fish stocks managed solely by the EU in those sea basins.
For the first time, the Commission is proposing to set nine TACs for two to three years, known as ‘multiannual TACs‘, instead of re-evaluating them annually, based on advice from the scientists of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).
Following ICES advice again, the Commission is proposing to set 12 TACs at MSY (Maximum Sustainable Yield), i.e., the maximum amount of fish that fishers can take out of the sea without compromising the regeneration and future productivity of the stock. This would mean an increase in catch limits for five stocks: megrims, anglerfish, hake, horse mackerel in Iberian waters and plaice in Kattegat.
Increased allowable catch in line with scientific advice
For plaice in the Kattegat, the Commission proposes an increase of 19%. For hake in the southern Bay of Biscay, Iberian waters and waters around the Azores, the proposal is for an increase of 10%, in accordance with the Western Waters Multi-Annual Plan. For megrims and anglerfish in the Iberian waters, the Commission proposes an increase by +11% and +7% respectively.
More predictability thanks to multiannual decisions
Nine TACs have been proposed for two or three years ahead, instead of on a yearly basis, with a reduction to ensure sustainable catches in the long term. The stocks concerned are those of plaice (West of Ireland), whiting and pollack (Bay of Biscay), plaice (Iberian Waters), Norway lobster (Bay of Biscay – FU25), sole (Irish waters), and sole (Iberian waters).
Continued measures to safeguard eels
In 2023, ICES reiterated that the status of the stock remains critical and there should be zero catches of eel in all habitats and at all life stages. Pending the new ICES advice for 2024, expected in November, the Commission proposes to maintain the existing measures for the protection of eels in all relevant EU waters, specifically in the Atlantic, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean. The closure in the north-east Atlantic should cover the main migration period of the respective life stage. In the Skagerrak-Kattegat and Baltic Sea, the closure periods should be agreed between the Member States concerned so as to ensure the protection of eel migrating out of the Baltic Sea into the North Sea. As for the Mediterranean Sea, the proposal might be updated after the 2023 annual meeting of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean to take into account possible additional measures for the Mediterranean adopted at that meeting.
Jointly managed stocks and further scientific advice
This proposal will be updated after the conclusion of the ongoing consultations with Norway and the United Kingdom, and with the decisions taken in various regional fisheries management organisations.
Another five stocks, managed solely by the EU, are still awaiting scientific advice (anchovy in the Bay of Biscay, three stocks of Norway lobster, cod in the Kattegat), while the TAC for anchovy in the Iberian waters and waters around the Azores has already been set until June 2024.
Figures for the TACs for which scientific advice is not yet available or for which consultations with non-EU countries are ongoing are currently marked in the proposal as ‘pm’ or pro memoria. These figures will be included in the proposal when the advice becomes available or the consultations are concluded, through so-called ‘non-papers’ and will be published by the Commission.
See tables below for details of today’s proposal for stocks solely managed by the EU.
Next steps
The Council will discuss the Commission’s proposal on 11 and 12 December and establish the allocation of fishing opportunities for 2024, and in some cases for 2025 and 2026. The regulation should apply as of 1 January 2024.
Background
Fishing opportunities, or total allowable catches (TACs), are set for most of Europe’s commercial fish stocks in order to keep their status healthy or to help them regenerate, while ensuring that EU fishers have healthy fish stocks to rely on for their economic activities. Under the common fisheries policy (CFP), EU Member States are legally bound to manage fish stocks at sustainable levels.
Sustainable fishing has made substantial progress in the EU. In 2022, 80% of the TACs were set at MSY level, allowing for a healthy future of the stocks and for fishers to rely on them, compared to only 14% of TACs in 2009.
The Commission proposal is based on scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). For stocks with a full scientific assessment, the Commission is proposing fishing levels in line with MSY advice. For stocks for which less data is available, the Commission proposal is based on precautionary advice.
Stakeholders were consulted based on the Commission’s annual Communication Towards more sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2024.
Taking into account the application of the landing obligation, the Commission is proposing TACs on the basis of the ICES catch advice. The proposed EU quotas take account of discards based on established exemptions; these quantities will not be landed and counted against the quotas and are therefore deducted from the EU quotas. Pending the entry into force of the delegated regulations specifying details of the implementation of the landing obligation for certain fisheries in 2024, EU quotas are marked pm in this proposal. Moreover, for stocks for which ICES provides only landings advice, the Commission is proposing TACs on the basis of that advice.
For More Information
Proposal for fishing opportunities for 2024 in the Atlantic, Kattegat and Skagerrak
Table 1: Proposal for Total Allowable Catches (TACs) for 2024
| Common name | Scientific name | TAC area | Proposed EU TAC for 2024 (tonnes) | Proposed EU TAC change from 2023 | Explanation |
| Megrims | Lepidorhombus spp. | 8c, 9 and 10; Union waters of CECAF 34.1.1 | 3 622 | +11% | The TAC covers two species.
The Commission proposes to set the TAC in line with the MSY advice and FMSY point value for both species. |
| Anglerfishes | Lophiidae
|
8c, 9 and 10; Union waters of CECAF 34.1.1 | 4 650 | +7% | The TAC covers two species.
The Commission proposes to set the TAC in line with the MSY advice and FMSY point value for both species. |
| Whiting
|
Merlangius merlangus | 8 | For 2024 and 2025:
1 347
|
-41% | The Commission proposes to set the TACs for 2024 and for 2025 in line with the MSY advice. |
| Hake | Merluccius merluccius | 8c, 9 and 10; Union waters of CECAF 34.1.1 | 17 445 | +10% | The Commission proposes to set the TAC in line with the MSY advice and the highest value within the range of FMSY (MSY Fupper) in accordance with Article 4(5), point (a), of the Western Waters MAP. |
| Norway lobster | Nephrops norvegicus | 8c, functional unit 25 | For 2024 and 2025:
0 |
0 | The Commission proposes to set the TACs for 2024 and for 2025 in line with the MSY advice. |
| Norway lobster | Nephrops norvegicus | 8c, functional unit 31 | 12,4 | – 27% | The Commission proposes to set the TAC in line with the MSY advice. |
| Plaice | Pleuronectes platessa | Kattegat | 2 349
|
+ 19% | The Commission proposes to set the TAC in line with MSY Flower as cod, for which there is a zero-catch advice, is a by-catch in this fishery. |
| Plaice | Pleuronectes platessa | 7b and 7c | For 2024, 2025 and 2026:
15 |
-21% | The Commission proposes to set the TACs for 2024, 2025 and 2026 in line with the precautionary advice. |
| Plaice | Pleuronectes platessa | 8, 9 and 10; Union waters of CECAF 34.1.1 | For 2024 and 2025:
124 |
-20% | The Commission proposes to set the TACs for 2024 and 2025 in line with the precautionary advice. |
| Pollack | Pollachius pollachius | 8a, 8b, 8d and 8e | For 2024 and 2025:
698 |
– 53% | The Commission proposes to set the TACs for 2024 and for 2025 in line with the MSY advice. |
| Pollack | Pollachius pollachius | 8c | For 2024 and 2025:
78 |
– 53%
|
As above |
| Pollack | Pollachius pollachius | 9 and 10; Union waters of CECAF 34.1.1 | For 2024 and 2025:
96 |
– 53%
|
As above |
| Common sole | Solea solea | 7b and 7c | For 2024, 2025 and 2026:
15 |
– 21% | Commission proposes TAC in line with precautionary advice. |
| Common sole | Solea solea | 8a and 8b | 2 489
|
– 7% | Commission proposes TAC in line with FMSY point value. |
| Sole | Solea spp. | 8c, 8d, 8e, 9 and 10; Union waters of CECAF 34.1.1 | For 2024 and 2025:
435 |
– 33% | The TAC covers three species of sole in this area. ICES only provides advice for common sole in this area.
For 2024 and 2025, the Commission proposes to set sub-TACs for common sole in line with the MSY advice. It also proposes to set the TACs in line with the advice for common sole taking into account the species-specific catches (48% common sole and 52% other sole species). |
| Horse mackerel | Trachurus spp. | 9 | 173 873
|
+5% | The Commission proposes to set the TAC in line with the MSY advice. |
| Seabass | Northern and central Bay of Biscay
8ab |
recreational
catches (1 fish/day) |
The Commission proposes to set the bag limit in line with the MSY advice. |
Table 2: Stocks delegated to an individual Member State
| Common name | Scientific name | TAC area | Delegated to |
| Horse Mackerel | Trachurus spp. | Union waters of CECAF (Canaries) | Spain |
| Horse Mackerel | Trachurus spp. | Union waters of CECAF (Madeira) | Portugal |
| Horse Mackerel | Trachurus spp. | 10, Union waters of CECAF (Azores) | Portugal |
| ‘Penaeus’ shrimps | Penaeus spp. | French Guiana waters | France |
Quotes
Today’s proposal reflects the collective achievement of fishers, Member States and the Commission to collect fisheries data and allow science to have a better understanding of the stocks dynamics. We have seen an increase in the number of stocks that can be fished at the maximum levels allowing for their sustainability, which speaks of the good recovery of the stocks. Also, for the first time, we are setting catch limits in the Atlantic for several years ahead which was a recurring and legitimate demand from fishers to increase predictability for their business.
Q&A on 2024 Fishing Opportunities in the Atlantic, Kattegat and Skagerrak
Brussels, 25 October 2023
How is the Commission proceeding to establish its proposal in view of the scientific advice?
Every year, the Commission requests advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) on each stock and then develops its proposal based on the scientific advice, as set out in the Common Fisheries Policy. ICES delivers two types of advice: advice given under the Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) assessment and advice given under the precautionary approach. This depends on the data which is available to scientists for each stock and when more data is available, then ICES can carry out an MSY assessment – while for data-poor stocks, the advice will be given based on the precautionary approach. The Commission proceeds to an analysis of the advice and prepares its proposal for discussion and adoption at the Council of Ministers on Fisheries.
For MSY stocks, the Commission may propose a figure corresponding to MSY lower, MSY point or MSY upper, in line with the provisions of the Multiannual Plans. The Commission also takes into account the presence of mixed fisheries, in particular when a zero TAC would force fishing vessels to stay in port, as they cannot fish for their targeted species taken together with the zero TAC species in the net, situations known as ‘choke situations’. In cases of zero catch advice and considerations of mixed fisheries, the Commission’s approach is to set bycatch allowances, the amount of which is based on ICES advice, to allow the main fishing activities on other healthy stocks to continue.
What is new in the Commission proposal this year?
This year, ICES has delivered MSY advice for more TACs and it has delivered advice valid for two or three years. The Commission has implemented those changes in its proposal.
12 TACs have received an MSY advice, and the Commission has proposed to set all of them in line with the advice. For instance, the whiting and pollack stocks have been under the precautionary approach for years and now are covered by MSY advice, thanks to better data collection which is a common effort from the fishers, Member States and national scientific institutes. Whiting and pollack also qualify for multi-annual TACs, as ICES gave its advice for 2024-2025.
What progress has been made throughout the years in terms of sustainability of EU fisheries?
In recent years, we have made substantial progress towards sustainably fishing the stocks managed by the EU. In 2022, 63 of the 79 TACs set for the Atlantic, North Sea and Baltic Sea were set at a level that allows a healthy future for the stocks and the fishers, i.e. ensuring good fish stocks’ biomass while taking into account the socio-economic factors (“maximum sustainable yield” or MSY), compared to only 5 out of 35 in 2009.
Where stock management is shared with non-EU countries, the EU continues to be guided by the same sustainability principles that apply under the Common Fisheries Policy.
The status of the European eel stock has been critical for many years. What is the Commission proposing?
While ICES advice for 2024 will be published on 1 November 2023, given last year’s advice and the critical situation of eels, the Commission has already proposed to maintain the 6 months closure and the prohibition of recreational eel fisheries in EU marine and brackish waters of the north-east Atlantic, and in all marine waters, brackish waters and freshwaters of the Mediterranean. In addition, the Commission proposed to clarify that the Atlantic closure should cover the main migration period of the respective life stage in the fishing area concerned, and that in Skagerrak-Kattegat and the Baltic Sea, the closure periods should be agreed between the Member States concerned so as to ensure the protection of eel migrating out of the Baltic Sea into the North Sea.
This proposal might be updated after the publication by ICES of its 2024 scientific advice and after the 2023 annual meeting of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), to take into account possible additional measures for the Mediterranean adopted at that annual meeting.
When will the proposal be updated with the trilateral EU-UK-NO and bilateral EU-UK TACs?
The trilateral negotiations between the EU, Norway and the UK and the bilateral EU-UK consultations will take place in the coming weeks. The Commission aims to conclude both sets of negotiations before the end of the year.
The EU will seek to ensure full consistency between the bilateral EU-UK and the trilateral EU-UK-NO fishing opportunities and related provisions, pursuing, as always, our sustainability objectives as set out in the Common Fisheries Policy.
For More Information
Proposal for fishing opportunities for 2024 in the Atlantic, Kattegat and Skagerrak
Source – EU Commission