1.  EU Position – strengthened proposals for 2016

On 10 November 2015 the Commission proposed further measures, to be decided by the 28 Member States meeting in the Fisheries Council on 14 and 15 December. The proposals build upon and strengthen the measures already put in place, with the aim of bringing the stock under MSY management by 2017. They include:

• a complete ban on fishing for the first half of 2016;
• a 1-fish bag limit for recreational anglers and a monthly one tonne catch limit per commercial vessel for the second half of 2016;
• a continued area closure around Ireland for commercial fishing.

On 16 December the Member States have adopted the following measures:

• In the first half of 2016: No fishing for sea bass by commercial vessels targeting sea bass, except for long lines, pole and lines and set nets who will have a closure of two months in February and March 2016; a small by catch allowance of 1% is envisaged for demersal trawlers and seiners per vessels per month to cover unavoidable by by-catches. Recreational anglers may practise a catch and release fishery.
• In the second half of 2016: catch limits for commercial vessels and a 1 fish bag limit for recreational anglers.
• A continued area closure around Ireland for commercial fishing.

2.  Defra; New commercial and recreational fishing restrictions for Bass in 2016

Throughout 2015 the European Commission has been working with member states and their scientific advisors on a range of measures to reduce bass fishing mortality. However, stocks are continuing to decline and further measures have been put in place to protect bass. In 2016 additional restrictions are to be implemented on both commercial and recreational fishermen, and those restrictions will be published in the new TACs and Quotas Regulation in early January 2016. Until the new regulation is published the existing measures in Council Regulation (EU) 2015/104 will continue to remain in force.

3.  New Economics foundation viewpoint – do measures go far enough?

4.  Angling Trust viewpoint ‘ Ministers accused of ‘shameful conservation con trick’ over bass stocks