The negotiations on fishing quotas for 2006 will take place during the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels on 20-21 December.
As the annual negotiations to set fishing quotas for next year approach, Oceana urges Ministers not to dodge the difficult decisions that need to be made in order to prevent the collapse of many stocks. In advance of the Fisheries Council meeting, the European Commission has tabled a timid set of proposals for 2006 quotas, calling it a “gradual approach”, no doubt anticipating the usual reluctance of Ministers to face the crisis and accept scientific advice which could lead to reductions in fishing activity unpopular at home.
“As stocks continue to struggle, and species such as cod, hake, anchovy, rays and sharks are threatened, now is not the time for timidness by our decision makers,” said Xavier Pastor, the fisheries biologist and Director of Oceana Europe
Although a number of the TACs proposed by the Commission follow scientific advice, there are some alarming cases where the advice is not heeded and far higher catches are proposed, especially for some of the most vulnerable and “politically sensitive” species, including cod and hake. In these cases the Ministers need to show leadership and agree catch limits that will ensure the survival and eventual recovery of these stocks.
Oceana has analysed the Commission’s proposals and compared them to the scientific advice from ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea), an independent scientific body that provides official advice to the European Commission and which involves many prestigious researchers working with scientific bodies of the North Atlantic countries, including Spain: “European Commission Proposals on TACS in relation to Scientific Advice”. (ICES Fishing Areas Map)
Oceana welcomes the Commission’s proposal to close the “rasco” gillnet fishery in the North East Atlantic, which is also on the table at the Council meeting next week.
“The decision to close this fishery should be a simple one for Ministers to make. There is absolutely no excuse to allow such a wasteful and harmful fishery to continue,” said Julie Cator, Policy Director for Oceana Europe, based in Brussels.
The Oceana report, The Use of ‘Rasco’ Gillnets in the Anglerfish, King Crab and Deep-Sea Sharks Fisheries in the North-East Atlantic, (released last December 7th) highlights how this fishery, involving around only 20 vessels, discards between 2,000 and 15,000 tonnes of anglerfish, generates kilometres of ghost nets and overexploits stocks of anglerfish, deep-sea red crab and deep sea sharks.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION PROPOSALS ON TACS IN RELATION TO SCIENTIFIC ADVICE
Common name | Scientific name | Zone | ICES Advice* | Commission Proposal* | % change | Oceana evaluation |
Greatre silver smelt | Argentina silus | I & II | Caution | 116 | - | K |
Greatre silver smelt | Argentina silus | III & IV | Caution | 1,331 | - | K |
Greatre silver smelt | Argentina silus | V, VI, VII | Caution | 5,310 | - | K |
Basking shark | Cetorhinus maximus |
| 0 | 0 | 0% | J |
Herring | Clupea harengus | 30-31 | 92,600-97,600 | 91,600 | -1% -6% | J |
Herring | Clupea harengus | 22-24 | 95,000 | 47,500 | - | ? |
Herring | Clupea harengus | IIIa | Pm** | |||
Herring | Clupea harengus | 25, 29, 32 | 120,000 | 115,842 | -3,5% | J |
Herring | Clupea harengus | Gulf of Riga | 39,900 | 40,000 | +0,25% | J |
Herring | Clupea harengus | VIaS & VIIbc | 14,000 | 14,000 | 0% | J |
Herring | Clupea harengus | VIaClyde | 1,000 | 800 | -20% | J |
Herring | Clupea harengus | VIIa | 4,800 | 4,800 | 0% | J |
Herring | Clupea harengus | VIIef | - | 1,000 | - | ? |
Herring | Clupea harengus | VIIg-k | - | 11,050 | - | ? |
Anchovy | Engraulis encrasicolus | VIII | 0 | 0 | 0% | J |
Anchovy | Engraulis encrasicolus | IX, X & CECAF | 4,700 | 6,800 | +44% | L |
Cod | Gadus morhua | Skagerrak | 0 | 3,315 | +3,315% | L |
Cod | Gadus morhua | Kattegat | 0 | 850 | +850% | L |
Cod | Gadus morhua | 25-32 | 14,900 | 45,339 | +304% | L |
Cod | Gadus morhua | 22-24 | 28,400 | 28,400 | 0% | J |
Cod | Gadus morhua | Vb, VI, XII, XIV | <700 | 613 | -12,5% | J |
Cod | Gadus morhua | VIIa | 0 | 1,828 | +1,828% | L |
Cod | Gadus morhua | VIIb-K, VIII, IX, X & CECAF | <5,200 | 5,270 | +1,5% | J |
Porbeagle | Lamna nasus | I-XIV | 0 | 0 | 0% | J |
Megrim | Lepidorhombus spp. | IIa & IV | 2,200 | 1,740 | -21% | J |
Megrim | Lepidorhombus spp. | Vb, VI, XII & XIV | 2,300 | 2,448 | +6,5% | K |
Megrim | Lepidorhombus spp. | VII | <13,600 | 16,374 | +34% | L |
Megrim | Lepidorhombus spp. | VIIIabde | 1,901 | |||
Megrim | Lepidorhombus spp. | VIIIc, IX, X, CECAF | 1,200 | 1,136 | -5,5% | J |
Common dab and flounder | Limanda limanda & Platichthys flesus | IIa & IV | - | 16,200 | - | ? |
Anglerfish | Lophius spp | IIa & IV | - | 16,200 | - | ? |
Anglerfish | Lophius spp | IV | 6,700 | 10,314 | +54% | L |
Anglerfish | Lophius spp | VII | <33,900 | 16,374 | -33,5% | L |
Anglerfish | Lophius spp | VIIIabde | 6,120 | |||
Anglerfish | Lophius spp | VIIIc, IX, X & CECAF | 0 | 1,136 | +1,136% | L |
Haddock | Melanogrammus aeglefinus | VIb, XII & XIV | Lowest possible | 597 | - | ? |
Haddock | Melanogrammus aeglefinus | Vb & VIa | <8,000 | 7,810 | -5% | J |
Haddock | Melanogrammus aeglefinus | VII, VIII, IX, X & CECAF | 11,520 | 11,520 | 0% | J |
Whiting | Melangius merlangus | Vb, VI, XII & XIV | Lowest possible | 1,360 | - | K |
Whiting | Melangius merlangus | VIIa | Lowest possible | 437 | - | K |
Whiting | Melangius merlangus | VIIb-k | 10,800 | 18,360 | +70% | L |
Whiting | Melangius merlangus | VIII | <4,000 | 3,600 | -10% | J |
Whiting | Melangius merlangus | IX, X & CECAF | - | 653 | - | ? |
Hake | Merluccius merluccius | IIIa & IIIbcd | 44,000 | 1,323 | -0,5% | J |
Hake | Merluccius merluccius | IIa & IV | 1,541 | |||
Hake | Merluccius merluccius | Vb, VI, VII, XII & XIV | 24,617 | |||
Hake | Merluccius merluccius | VIIIabde | 16,419 | |||
Hake | Merluccius merluccius | VIIIc, IX, X & CECAF | 0 | 6,661 | +6,661% | K |
Lemon sole & Witch | Microstomus kitt & Glyptocephalus cynoglossus | IIa & IV | - | 5,850 | - | ? |
Blue ling | Molva dypterigia | IIa, IV, Vb, VI & VII | 0 | Not relevant | - | ? |
Ling | Molva molva | I & II | <21,700 | 45 | -11,5%? | J |
Ling | Molva molva | III | 136 | |||
Ling | Molva molva | IV | 3,996 | |||
Ling | Molva molva | V | 48 | |||
Ling | Molva molva | Vi, VII, VIII, IX, X, XII & XIV | 14,966 | |||
Ling | Molva molva | IIa. IV. Vb, VI & VII | Not relevant | |||
Ling | Molva molva | IV Norway | Pm** | |||
Lings | Molva spp. | Vb | Pm** | |||
Norway lobster | Nephrops norvegicus | IIIa & IIIbcd | 4,700 | 4,700 | 0% | J |
Norway lobster | Nephrops norvegicus | IIa & IV | 22,850 | 21,597 | -5,5% | J |
Norway lobster | Nephrops norvegicus | Vb & VI | 11,300 | 13,255 | +17% | K |
Norway lobster | Nephrops norvegicus | VII | 17,450 | 17,450 | 0% | J |
Norway lobster | Nephrops norvegicus | VIIIabde | 3,500 | 3,500 | 0% | J |
Norway lobster | Nephrops norvegicus | VIIIc | 0 | 146 | +146% | L |
Norway lobster | Nephrops norvegicus | IX, X & CECAF | 250 | 486 | +94,5% | L |
Plaice | Pleuronectes platessa | Skagerrak | <9,600 | 6,460 | -16% | J |
Plaice | Pleuronectes platessa | Kattegat | 1,615 | |||
Plaice | Pleuronectes platessa | IIIbcd | - | 3,766 | - | ? |
Plaice | Pleuronectes platessa | Vb, VI, XII & XIV | - | 786 | - | ? |
Plaice | Pleuronectes platessa | VIIa | 5,900 | 1,367 | -76% | J |
Plaice | Pleuronectes platessa | VIIbc | 160 | 136 | -15% | J |
Plaice | Pleuronectes platessa | VIIde | <4,400 | 4,378 | -0,5% | J |
Plaice | Pleuronectes platessa | VIIfg | 240-400 | 405 | +1,25% +102,5% | K |
Plaice | Pleuronectes platessa | VIIhjk | 450 | 396 | -12% | J |
Plaice | Pleuronectes platessa | VIII, IX, X & CECAF | - | 448 | - | ? |
Pollack | Pollachius pollachius | Vb, VI, XII & XIV | - | 450 | - | ? |
Pollack | Pollachius pollachius | VII | - | 13,600 | - | ? |
Pollack | Pollachius pollachius | VIIIabde | - | 1,680 | - | ? |
Pollack | Pollachius pollachius | VIIIc | - | 262 | - | ? |
Pollack | Pollachius pollachius | IX, X & CECAF | - | 448 | - | ? |
Saithe | Pollachius virens | Vb, VI, XII & XIV | <14,000 | 12,787 | -8% | J |
Saithe | Pollachius virens | VII. VIII, IX, X & CECAF | - | 4,738 | - | ? |
Turbot & brill | Psetta maximus & Scophthalmus rhombus | IIa & IV | - | 4,095 | - | ? |
Skates & rays | Rajidae | IIa, IV & VI | 0 | 2,737 | +2,737% | L |
Atlantic salmon | Salmo salar | IIIbcd | - | 460,000 number | - | K |
Atlantic salmon | Salmo salar | 32 | 0 – no catches on wild salmon | 17,000 number | - | K |
Common sole | Solea solea | IIIa & IIIbcd, | 900 | 900 | 0% | J |
Common sole | Solea solea | Vb, VI, XII & XIV | - | 68 | ? | K |
Common sole | Solea solea | VIIa | <1,000 | 960 | -4% | J |
Common sole | Solea solea | VIIbc | 64 | 64 | 0% | J |
Common sole | Solea solea | VIId | <5,720 | 5,720 | 0% | J |
Common sole | Solea solea | VIIe | 240 | 940 | +292% | L |
Common sole | Solea solea | VIIfg | <880 | 880 | 0% | J |
Common sole | Solea solea | VIIhjk | 330 | 553 | +67,5% | L |
Common sole | Solea solea | VIIIab | <4,200 | 4,060 | -3,5% | J |
Sole | Solea spp. | VIIIcde, IX, X & CECAF | - | 1,216 | - | K |
Sprat | Sprattus sprattus | IIIa | Reduce herring by-catch | 50,000 | - | ? |
Sprat | Sprattus sprattus | IIIbcd | - | 468,000 | - | ? |
Sprat | Sprattus sprattus | VIIde | - | 6,144 | - | ? |
Horse mackerel | Trachurus spp. | VIIIc & IX | <46,000 | 46,750 | +2% | J |
Horse mackerel | Trachurus spp. | X & CECAF Azores | - | 3,200 | - | ? |
Horse mackerel | Trachurus spp. | CECAF Madeira | - | 1,280 | - | ? |
Horse mackerel | Trachurus spp. | CECAF Canarias | - | 1,280 | - | ? |
Norway pout | Trisopterus esmarki | IIa, IIIa & IV | 0 | 0 | 0% | J |
Legend
* Figures in tons ** Proposal for quotas still not available J Oceana agrees with Commission’s decision K Oceana requests extreme caution and even a reduction L Oceana disagrees with Commission’s decision ? There is not enough information available
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