Commission proposes fishing opportunities in the Atlantic and North Sea for 2019
Brussels, 7 November 2018
Today the Commission presents its proposal ahead of the December Fisheries Council where Member States should agree next year's fishing quotas.
The European Commission proposes fishing opportunities in the Atlantic and the North Sea for 89 stocks: for 62 stocks the fishing quota is either increased or remains the same, for 22 stocks is reduced and for 5 the Commission proposes new by-catch quotas at low level to reduce the fishing pressure.The fishing opportunities, or Total Allowable Catches (TACs), are quotas set for most commercial fish stocks that keep the stocks healthy, while allowing the fishing industry to profit from fishing the highest amount of fish. As the size of some key fish stocks is increasing – notably for Norway lobster in Skagerrak/Kattegat, Northern hake and Southern horse mackerel – so is the profitability of the fishing sector, with an estimated EUR 1.4 billion profit for 2018.
Karmenu Vella, Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, said: "Next year will be a milestone year for European fisheries. Our collective duty is to ensure a good transition to the full landing obligation as of 1st January 2019 while continuing our progress to achieve sustainable fishing by 2020. With this proposal, the Commission puts forward concrete solutions to advance on both fronts."
In order to put an end to the wasteful practice of discarding fish, as of 1st January 2019, the landing obligation will apply fully to all EU fishing fleets. This means that all catches of regulated commercial species taken on-board (including by-catch) are to be landed and counted against each Member States' respective quotas. In today's proposal the Commission has already deducted the amounts corresponding to the agreed exemptions to the landing obligation from the advised catches.
Substantial progress can be observed in the EU with regards to sustainable fishing: 53 stocks are now fishedat Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) levels compared to only 5 in 2009 and 44 in 2017. This means that the fishing pressure on the stock is limited to a level that will allow a healthy future for the fish stock's biomass, while taking into account socioeconomic factors. The Commission is working with Member States to support the fishermen in reaching the objective of having all stocks fished at sustainable levels by 2020, as set by the Common Fisheries Policy.
Today's proposal will be submitted for discussion and decision by the Member States at the December Fisheries Council on 17-18 December in Brussels, to be applied as of 1 January 2019.
Details of the proposal
The Commission bases its proposal on scientific advice provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), with a view to achieving sustainable management of fish stocks while sustaining profitable livelihoods for fishermen.
The proposal covers stocks managed by the EU alone and stocks managed in cooperation with third countries, such as Norway, or through Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs). International negotiations for many of the stocks concerned are still ongoing and some further stocks are awaiting scientific advice. For these, the figures will be included at a later stage.
For more information
See tables below for details on today's proposals for the Atlantic and the North Sea.
Questions and Answers on Commission's proposal on fishing opportunities in the Atlantic and North Sea for 2019.
Scientific advice: the proposed TACs take due account of the scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF).
Stakeholders were also consulted, based on the Commission's Consultation document.
Note: The tables below only list EU stocks not shared with third countries. All TAC values are expressed in tonnes.
Final TAC figures for 2018 reflect the total TAC set by the EU for a certain stock, after transfers to third countries where applicable.
Table 1: Stocks with proposals for increased Total Allowable Catch (TAC)
Table 2: Stocks with no changes in Total Allowable Catch (TAC)
Table 3: Stocks with proposals for decreased Total Allowable Catch (TAC)
Table 4: Stocks for which a by-catch Total Allowable Catch (TAC) is proposed
Table 5: Stocks subject to pending advice or ongoing negotiations
Table 6: Stocks for which the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) is delegated to an individual Member State
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Wednesday 7 November 2018
Commission proposes fishing opportunities in the Atlantic and North Sea for 2019
Where have the cuttles scuttled?
This day last year, the market floor was awash with cuttlefish ink...
as over 26000kg (26 tons) were landed by the end of the week - making a total of 244,000kg (244tons) since the season started in late September...
wind the clock forward a year and this morning three tubs (750kg) of cuttlefish from a single boat were up for auction on the market - making a total of around 6000kg (6 tons) for the same period as last year...
the grounds are fished by boats working from both Newlyn, Plymouth, Brixham...
and boats from further afield like Ireland, three of which are seen here heading for home off Lands End at the end of their trips this morning.
Mid-week market in Nelwyn.
Hake from two of the netters that landed to the market this morning is snapped up by buyers and snapped by visitor alike...
along with a good run of large haddock...
and a big shot of spurdogs...
by the Silver Dawn...
with her hake...
and that of the Govenek of Ladram...
bright-eyed and not even 24 hours old...
so too the line caught...
mackerel...
while ray and other ground fish from the beam trawler Aaltje Adriaantje...
accompanied her haul of cuttles...
along with plaice...
monk fish tails...
John Dory...
and even a handful of bass...
buyers doing their best to avoid contact with the cuttle tubs that carry so much ink that stains permanently...
not often landed and usually found in deep water, a plus-four...
no mistaking these fish...
probably the best fish of the day...
although scad are more often than not used for bait they do make excellent eating when grilled like herring or sardines and choc-a-block full of Omega-3 for those seeking to bolster their diet with nutritious fish...
looking out to the harbour it is still dark enough at 6:30am...
as first light begins to fill the harbour a short while later...
good to see Bill Worth back in the wheelhouse of the St Georges once again as Roger lands his fish on the back of the lorry...
all set for the next trip...
the AA was one of the boats that landed this morning...
just a few pots from a full fleet for the crabbers...
with the sardines staying close inshore the ringnetter, Lyonesse pumps aboard the last few fish from her early morning haul...
the new compounds for storing gear are now in service on Sandy Cove - an area of the harbour that will see many more businesses and services created over the next few years as the harbour seeks to expand in support of a successful fleet.
Tuesday 6 November 2018
Evaluation of the European Maritime Fisheries Fund
EUROPEAN MARITIME AND FISHERIES FUND (EMFF)
Risk & Policy Analysts (RPA) Ltd have been commissioned by Defra to carry out work on the evaluation of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) and its implementation in England and the devolved administrations, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The aim of this study is to evaluate grant delivery including enablers and barriers to grant funding and the initial impacts of the fund as a whole. The work shall consider why applications have or have not been made and what issues have arisen. It will focus on social impacts, complementing the mid-term evaluation of the EMFF to be commissioned by the MMO.
The approach to the evaluation will include engagement with relevant stakeholders to gather their views on the EMFF. This engagement will be undertaken over the next few months and will include focus groups and interviews. To this end, we have selected a number of locations where specific grants will be evaluated in greater depth. Agreed case study locations to date include Cornwall/Devon, East Riding and Grimsby, Norfolk/Suffolk and Northern Ireland.
RPA will be contacting a selection of grant recipients between November and February as part of our evaluation. However, we would also welcome your views of the Fund more generally. Please feel free to provide us with your opinions on the grant-making process, and how receiving a grant has helped you and your business. Equally, we would welcome views where you have chosen not to apply to the Fund.
If you would like more information about the project, or would like to tell RPA about your views on the EMFF, please contact Elizabeth Daly by email (Elizabeth.daly@rpaltd.co.uk).
Wooden boatbuilders are not dead - yet.
Commercial wooden boatbuilding yards are fast becoming a part of the maritime history of many coastal states. In Scotland alone, yards like Millers, MacDuff, Herd & McKenzie, Nobles, Irvin & Sons. Jones, Forbes and Alexander Noble of Girvan have all either ceased trading or moved on to build exclusively steel vessels.
Once upon a time, the design of every boat built reflected the personal preferences and foibles of the commissioning skipper but increasingly in the 1980s & 90s stringent safety regulations and changing fishing practices helped standardise the construction of fishing vessels.
In Cornwall, John Moores is the only wooden boatbuilders left - probably best known locally for building Freddie Turner's Britannia IV. Luckily, the craft and skills associated with wooden boats are still being taught locally at Falmouth Marine School.
In France, a number of boatbuilders (chantiers) continue to build wooden vessels incorporating modern techniques and styles for their large inshore fleets around the coast - especially in Brittany.
One such yard is the Chantier Tanguy in Douarnenez who in this video re-build the bow section of the wooden trawler, the Gwenvidik. The carpenters' work with a very new approach to the modernisation and upgrading of wooden fishing vessels.
More recently the yard saw work on the Morlaix registered crabber Steren Va Bro completed...
a predecessor of hers fished from Newlyn for skipper Mike Rowse until she was damaged in a fire after which she was sold and her hull used to create a 60' yacht.
Once upon a time, the design of every boat built reflected the personal preferences and foibles of the commissioning skipper but increasingly in the 1980s & 90s stringent safety regulations and changing fishing practices helped standardise the construction of fishing vessels.
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| Britannia IV leaving Newlyn. |
In Cornwall, John Moores is the only wooden boatbuilders left - probably best known locally for building Freddie Turner's Britannia IV. Luckily, the craft and skills associated with wooden boats are still being taught locally at Falmouth Marine School.
In France, a number of boatbuilders (chantiers) continue to build wooden vessels incorporating modern techniques and styles for their large inshore fleets around the coast - especially in Brittany.
One such yard is the Chantier Tanguy in Douarnenez who in this video re-build the bow section of the wooden trawler, the Gwenvidik. The carpenters' work with a very new approach to the modernisation and upgrading of wooden fishing vessels.
More recently the yard saw work on the Morlaix registered crabber Steren Va Bro completed...
a predecessor of hers fished from Newlyn for skipper Mike Rowse until she was damaged in a fire after which she was sold and her hull used to create a 60' yacht.
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