2016 fishing quotas have been set with seven out of ten quotas exceeding scientific advice. Whilst the Total Allowable Catches (TACs) are generally a decrease compared with this year, they exceed scientific advice in most cases, and for cod quotas are worryingly high.
We emphasise the need to set fishing opportunities below the exploitation level that corresponds with maximum sustainable yield (FMSY) by 2015, where possible, and by 2020 at the latest in order to restore and maintain fish stocks above levels capable of producing maximum sustainable yield as required by the CFP.
Yesterday the Fisheries Committee in Parliament heard diverse views on the implementation of multispecies management plans. Focus was largely on the proposed Baltic multiannual plan for cod, sprat and herring and ongoing issues regarding the landing obligation and technical measures along with discussion on preparations and lessons learned for the North Sea multiannual plan and other plans in development. .
Baltic TAC proposal released and trilogue on the Baltic multiannual plan resumes in September
The Baltic Sea Advisory Committee (BSAC) working group and BALTFISH held back-to-back meetings in Warsaw earlier this week. Technical measures were the main agenda point for the BSAC working group. While the stalled Baltic Multiannual Plan, and an update on the newly implemented discard ban were on the agenda during the BALTFISH Forum.
The Commission proposal for Baltic TACs in 2016 is balanced and largely in line with both ICES scientific advice and the reformed Common Fisheries Policy. However, we are concerned about the Commission’s proposal for both Baltic cod stocks.
New publications out: i) Waiting for a flourishing Baltic cod (Gadus morhua) fishery that never comes: old truths and new perspectives and ii) Are fast growing species more vulnerable to population collapse?
A scientific paper published in Science last week warns that our “window of opportunity to save the oceans from major changes is in danger of slamming shut, bringing with it the risk that we will encounter planetary-scale tipping points in the behavior of the climate.”
Few political decisions beside the usual TAC and quota haggling are foreseen in the work programme of the Luxemburg EU Presidency for the second half of 2015.
New research shows that, despite an agreement two decades ago, the ecosystem approach has not yet been applied in practice in the Baltic Sea. Environmental problems are still essentially handled in isolation, despite how these affect each other and the risk that climate change could make it more difficult to reverse negative trends has not been considered.