Commission proposes fishing opportunities in the Atlantic and North Sea for 2017 – comments on bass – Angling Trust and Guardian

Brussels, 27 October 2016   ‘In preparation for the December Fisheries Council, where Member States will negotiate fishing quotas in the Atlantic and North Sea for 2017, the Commission is presenting its proposal for healthy and sustainable stocks.

Today the Commission is presenting its proposal on fishing quotas for next year in the Atlantic and the North Sea. This is the annual scheme for the amount of fish which can be caught by European Union fishermen from the main commercial fish stocks next year, also referred to as Total Allowable Catches (TACs). 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.

Karmenu Vella, Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, said: “Our goal is clear: we need to bring all stocks to healthy and sustainable levels as soon as possible so that our fishing industry can remain viable. 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.’ Click here to see the proposals

Guardian viewpoint on bass

Angling Trust on bass ‘Angling organisations, who have been battling for a better deal for threatened bass stocks and for the introduction of sustainable forms of bass fishing, have today welcomed the announcement by the European Commission that should see the removal of damaging gillnets from the bass fishery in the North Sea, English Channel and North Atlantic.

If the proposals are adopted by the Council of Ministers at the forthcoming Fishing Opportunities meeting in December, commercial bass exploitation will be restricted to hook and line fishing only for ten months of the year in 2017, with a closure in February and March to protect spawning aggregations.

Recreational anglers will be allowed to retain ten fish a month during the ten month open season, as opposed to one fish a day for just six months as is currently the case.

Overall the Commission’s proposals to remove the nets from the bass fishery will make a significant reduction in commercial bass mortality, while the recreational take is likely to remain broadly similar. However, the introduction of the more flexible monthly bag limits for anglers – something the Angling Trust has been arguing for – will help to undo some of the damage done to the charter boat fleet which lost up to 20% of its revenue as a result of a downturn in anglers’ bookings following the introduction of the zero and one fish bag limits for 2016.’ Click here to read more and for links.