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Fisheries: EU Council ministers agreed in fishing opportunities for 2023

Dec 13, 2022 , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Brussels, 13 December 2022
2023 fishing opportunities for Atlantic, North Sea, Kattegat and Skagerrak, Mediterranean and Black Seas adopted

This morning, the ministers responsible for fisheries in the Council agreed on fishing opportunities for 2023 for the Atlantic, Kattegat and Skagerrak, including deep-sea stocks for 2023 and 2024, as well as the Mediterranean and the Black Seas. The two respective proposals were made by the Commission earlier this autumn.

Atlantic, North Sea, Kattegat and Skagerrak

In the Atlantic, Kattegat and Skagerrak, and the North Sea, the agreement includes 27 total allowable catches (TACs) for the fish stocks managed solely by the EU, as well as strengthened measures to address the critical state of eels. As proposed by the Commission, the Council has set 10 TACs in line with maximum sustainable yield (MSY) advice, which is the highest possible annual catch that can sustain the fish stocks over time. The agreement represents a value of €3.5 billion for 187 EU fleet segments with significant fishing activity in the Skagerrak and northeast Atlantic, employing 30,800 full-time fishers. For the first time, thanks to progress in managing stocks, the agreement reached could lead to a very substantial increase in catches in the Atlantic and North Sea in 2023. This could translate into an overall increase of 81 million euro in the value of catches, compared to 2022.

Regarding eels, in view of their critical state, the Council has also agreed to extend the current closure at sea from three to six months to coincide with the juvenile eel migration and mature eels swimming between the sea and rivers.

The Council also set TACs for stocks shared trilaterally with Norway and the United Kingdom, all of them at MSY level.

Since the consultations regarding stocks shared bilaterally with Norway and the United Kingdom are still ongoing, the Council has adopted preliminary contingency TACs for those stocks for the first 3 months of 2023. This contingency plan ensures that fishing can continue seamlessly into the new year, if bilateral agreements with the UK and with Norway are not reached before the end of December. The contingency TACs are generally set at 25% of the 2022 TACs. Exceptions include several stocks fished disproportionately at the beginning of the year and some stocks with significant decreases or increases in the scientific advice for 2023.

Mediterranean and Black Seas

The agreement reached by the Council introduces, for the first time, catch limits to manage Mediterranean species with high commercial value, such as deep-water shrimps in the Strait of Sicily, the Ionian Sea and the Levant Sea. There are also new fishing opportunities for several subregions of the Mediterranean Sea where catch limits are reduced by 3% compared to the 2021 levels and are combined with fleet management measures.

For the western Mediterranean, the agreed regulation continues the implementation of the EU Multi-Annual Plan for demersal stocks, adopted in June 2019. The scientific advice confirms that combined actions need to continue to achieve the goal of sustainable fisheries management by 1 January 2025. Some of those concern for example the reduction of trawling fishing effort by 7%, combined with the implementation of additional management tools, such as catch limits for deep water shrimps and controlling the effort freeze for longliners. To strengthen ecosystem resilience, the regulation also expands the compensation mechanism introduced in 2022, granting 3.5% additional fishing days for trawlers: this notably rewards the use of more selective gears and the establishment of more efficient closure areas to protect juveniles and spawners.

In the Adriatic Sea, the regulation is keeping current measures for the management of the small pelagic species and demersal stocks. Catch reductions will allow the stocks to continue improving.

Finally, for the Black Sea, the regulation continues a roll-over of the TAC for turbot, as well as to carry-over of the unused EU turbot quotas from 2021 to 2023. The Black Sea sprat quotas remain at the 2022 level.

For More Information

More information on agreement related to specific fish stocks in the Atlantic, Kattegat and Skagerrak

More information on agreement related to specific fish stocks in Mediterranean and the Black Seas

Quote

As the world has gathered in Montréal to find global solutions for the biodiversity crisis, I am happy to see that here in Europe we keep on working for preserving our seas and oceans. We are continuing efforts to put the livelihoods of fishing communities on a solid footing for the future. As the agreement reached this morning by the ministers shows, we are making good progress in managing fish stocks at healthy levels in all of the sea basins concerned. I welcome that Council has made efforts to address the critical status of eels and am particularly pleased that the EU and Member States remain committed to improving the state of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

Virginijus Sinkevičius, Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries – 13/12/2022
Source – EU Commission

Agriculture and Fisheries Council, 11-12 December 2022

 

Brussels, 13 December 2022

Main results
Fisheries
2023 fishing opportunities

After two days of negotiations, agriculture and fisheries ministers reached a political agreement on fishing opportunities for 2023, taking into account the best available scientific advice, while respecting the aims of the common fisheries policy (CFP), and the EU’s multiannual plans for various sea basins.

We have proved that the Council is determined to preserve and restore fish stocks at sustainable levels, and at the same time to protect the future of communities which depend on fishing.

Zdeněk Nekula, Czech Minister of Agriculture

This agreement sets catch limits for over 200 commercial fish stocks in the Atlantic, North Sea, Mediterranean and Black Sea, as well as for some deep-sea stocks for 2023 and 2024. On shared fish stocks with the UK, ministers agreed to set provisional quotas for the first three months of 2023, seeing as bilateral EU-UK and EU-NO consultations on shared fish stocks are still on-going. These provisional catch limits include a temporary roll-over of the existing fishing opportunities for the first three months with a 25% ratio to the TAC levels of this year, to cover the first quarter of 2023. For some fisheries where fishing takes place mainly in the first part of the year, this seasonality has been taken into account. This will ensure continuity for fishermen and sustainable fishing in the relevant areas, pending an agreement between the EU and the UK. Ministers agreed on a similar approach for stocks co-managed with Norway.

Agriculture
Market situation, particularly in light of the Russian war against Ukraine

Ministers took stock of the market situation in member states, more particularly in light of Russia’s war against Ukraine, which is putting unprecedented pressure and uncertainty on farmers and world markets. They reiterated the impact of the war on all sectors, with producers facing significant increases in energy and fuel prices, as well as many logistical challenges. Ministers further emphasized the critical situation concerning the affordability of fertilisers, and the impact this might have on overall prospects for harvest next year, with many farmers likely to reduce their use of fertilizer. Ministers additionally exchanged views on the possibility of using the agricultural reserve for 2023, and stressed the impact of high food prices on consumers.

CAP strategic plans

Ministers exchanged views on the strategic plans included in the common agricultural policy (CAP), particularly in the context of Russia’s war in Ukraine and the challenges this is posing for the farming sector. Ministers stated their respective readiness to implement national plans comes January 2023, with the first year likely to be particularly challenging, especially in terms of setting up control systems and ensuring proper implementation.

In January we will start implementing the new common agriculture policy. Russian invasion to Ukraine had a disruptive effect on our farmers in the EU. I am glad we had a sincere discussion on the state of play and the possible need to adjust the strategic plans to reflect a new reality.

Zdeněk Nekula , Czech Minister of Agriculture

Animal welfare

Ministers publicly discussed the evaluation of the current animal welfare legislation and stressed the need to revise the current legislation as soon as possible, to protect animal welfare and adopt a harmonized approach at EU level. Ministers moreover voiced their main priorities regarding the revision of the legislation and emphasized that this revised proposal would also ensure fairer competition for farmers and other food business operators in the member states.

Other business

Ministers discussed multiannual fishing quotas and their importance in ensuring predictability for fishermen, as well as for the sustainability of stocks. They were moreover informed by the presidency on the state of play of the regulation on geographical indications and quality schemes across the EU and exchanged views on the regulation for the sustainable use of pesticide directive. They further discussed front of pack and sustainable food labelling.

The Council also adopted, without discussion, the items on the list of non-legislative A items.

Source – EU Council

EU Council approves fishing opportunities for 2023 in EU and non-EU waters

 

Brussels, 13 December 2022

Following two days of negotiations, ministers agreed on fishing opportunities in the Atlantic, the North Sea, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea for 2023, as well as for certain deep-sea stocks for 2023 and 2024. Overall, the agreement includes catch limits, also known as ‘total allowable catches’ (TACs), for over 200 commercial fish stocks. More than 100 of these stocks in the Atlantic and North Sea are co-managed with the United Kingdom. As discussions on bilateral EU-UK and EU-NO consultations on shared fish stocks are still on-going, ministers agreed on provisional catch limits for the first three months of 2023, pending final agreement. These provisional catch limits include a temporary roll-over of the existing fishing opportunities for the first three months with a 25% ratio to the TAC levels of this year, to cover the first quarter of 2023. For some fisheries where fishing takes place mainly in the first part of the year, this seasonality has been taken into account. Ministers agreed on a similar approach for stocks co-managed with Norway.

The agreement is the result of two long days of intense negotiations and good will from the part of all member states. This is the best outcome we could secure to ensure continuity for our fishing fleets without undermining our sustainability commitments. We have proved that the Council is determined to preserve and restore fish stocks at sustainable levels, and at the same time to protect the future of communities which depends on fishing.

Zdeněk Nekula, Czech Minister of Agriculture

Atlantic and North Sea

To safeguard stocks and follow scientific advice, ministers agreed to:

  • Reduce catch limits for Norway lobster in the South Bay of Biscay (FU 31) by -14% and in 9 and 10 by -16%
  • Reduce catch limits for sole by -30% in Skagerrak and Kattegat

Ministers further agreed to maintain the ban on targeted cod fishing in Kattegat, and to roll-over the three TACs for pollack in the Bay of Biscay and in Portuguese waters.

Following the positive scientific advice and the improved state of the stocks, ministers agreed to increase the catch limits for the following stocks:

  • Megrims (+33%) and anglerfishes (+12%) in the south Bay of Biscay and Portuguese waters
  • Whiting (+5%) in the Bay of Biscay, and sole (+20%) in the northern and central Bay of Biscay
  • Southern hake (+10%) in the southern Bay of Biscay and Portuguese water
  • Norway lobster (+19%) in the North, Central, Offshore Bay and West of the Bay of Biscay
  • Plaice (+91%) in the Kattegat
  • Horse mackerel (+15%) in Portuguese waters

Ministers further agreed on a roll-over for Norway lobster in Skagerrak and Kattegat, plaice in the West of Ireland and in the Bay of Biscay and Atlantic Iberian waters, as well as for sole in the West of Ireland and the Cantabrian Sea and Atlantic Iberian waters.

For deep-sea stocks, targeted fisheries remain prohibited for roundnose grenadier in Skagerrak and Kattegat with a reduction of the by-catch quota of -60% to 2 tonnes. In addition, ministers agreed a -4% reduction for red seabream in Atlantic Iberian waters and a roll-over for red seabream in Azores waters.

Additionally, for shared stocks where the stock only occurs in EU waters and the EU sets the TAC independently, ministers agreed on a -10% reduction for undulate ray in the Bay of Biscay and in Atlantic Iberian waters.

Protecting eel stocks

Finally, to protect eels, ministers agreed to a comprehensive package to protect the eel and help restore this unique stock in European waters. They agreed to prohibit recreational fisheries and to extend the closure for any commercial eel fishing activity to six months in marine and adjacent brackish waters in the north-east Atlantic (including the Baltic Sea) and in the Mediterranean (excluding the Black Sea) in a differentiated way to take into account different migration periods in different sea basins. Hence, member states will be able to adapt the closure period for different fishing areas, to take into account their specificities as well as the temporal and geographical migration patterns of eel at respectively the glass eel and silver eel life stage.

Mediterranean and Black Sea

Ministers agreed to reduce fishing effort for trawlers in the western Mediterranean by -7% to protect demersal stocks, in line with the EU’s legal obligation to attain the maximum sustainable yield for these stocks by 2025. In addition, ministers agreed to continue the use of the compensation mechanism that was established for the first time for 2022, allocating +3,5% of additional days to trawlers eligible under specific conditions as an incentive to increase the protection of the stock through e.g. selectivity or closures. Ministers further agreed to freeze long liners’ efforts at 2022 levels to protect the hake spawners, essential for the speedy recovery of the stock. They additionally agreed to reduce the maximum catch limits for stocks of blue and red shrimp in the Alboran Sea, Balearic Islands, Northern Spain and Gulf of Lion by –5% and stocks of blue and red shrimp and giant red shrimp in Corsica Island, Ligurian Sea, Tyrrhenian Sea and Sardinia Island by -3%.

In the Black Sea, the existing transitional TAC and quotas for turbot will be rolled-over for 2023. In addition, it was agreed that the EU will carry-over the unused EU turbot quota of 22,5 tonnes from 2021 to 2023 as established under the revised multiannual management plan for this species.

Background

The setting of TACs and quotas is an annual, and in the case of deep-sea species, biennial management exercise undertaken by the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in December. Ministers set catch limits for commercial fish stocks for the following year, along with national quotas for each species. The stocks concerned are those the EU manages on its own, jointly with neighbouring non-EU countries, or via agreements reached under the regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs). Since 2020, after the entry into force of the multiannual plan for demersal species in the Western Mediterranean, the fishing opportunities in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas are equally discussed at Council level. The final political agreement is based on an initial Commission’s proposal, taking into account the best available scientific advice, the main objectives of the common fisheries policy (CFP) basic regulation, and various multiannual management plans in place.

Next steps

The regulations will be finalised by the Council’s legal and linguistic experts, following which they will be formally adopted by the Council at an upcoming meeting and published in the Official Journal. The provisions will apply retroactively as of 1 January 2023.

Visit the meeting page

Source – EU Council

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