Total allowable catches
Total allowable catches (TACs), or fishing opportunities, are catch limits (expressed in tonnes or numbers) that are set for most commercial fish stocks. TACs are
- set annually for most fish stocks (every 2 years for deep-sea stocks)
- based on scientific advice on the stock status from advisory bodies (ICES and STECF)
- agreed with non-EU countries for stocks that are shared and jointly managed
- shared between EU countries in the form of national quotas
- follow the rules of the common fisheries policy to achieve sustainable fisheries, as set in the multi-annual plans
EU countries can exchange quotas but must use transparent and objective criteria when distributing national quotas among their fishers. They are responsible for ensuring that the quotas are not exceeded. When an EU country’s available quota for a species is exhausted, it must close the fishery.
Reporting
EU countries report their fisheries catches and effort regime to the EU for fisheries control purposes. The EU reports on its catches under international agreements to RFMOs, and to non-EU countries under bilateral agreements.
A global overview of these statistics are published below to show how the EU manages its fish stocks.
Landing obligation
- concerns species under TACs or species which have a minimum landing size (MLS)
- requires all catches of regulated species to be landed and counted against the quota
- undersized fish cannot be sold for human consumption
- prohibited species (e.g. basking shark) must be returned to the sea – discards should be recorded in the logbook
Fisheries in non-EU countries’ waters do not fall under the landing obligation.
By-catch provisions in closed areas
By-catch in fisheries is the incidental capture of non-target species.
Where closed area affects a fishery falling under the landing obligation, all by-catch must be landed and counted against quotas.
The closure or restrictions will still apply, and targeted fishing of the species that is protected is still prohibited. The details of the closures remain unaltered.
Catches of prohibited species (e.g. basking shark) cannot be retained on board and must be returned to the sea.
Other documents
Related publications
News
Today, measures adopted by the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) to address unsustainable Russian mackerel fishing in the North-East Atlantic officially enter into force.
Today, the Commission adopted its proposal for the 2027 fishing opportunities for the Baltic Sea. The proposal sets the total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas for the ten EU-managed fish stocks in the Baltic Sea: Bothnian herring, central Baltic herring, Gulf of Riga herring, sprat, plaice,
The mackerel stock in the North-East Atlantic is currently in a critical conservation status after years of overfishing, particularly by the Russian Federation. In 2026, Russia unilaterally raised its quota to 22.5% of the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) - equivalent to 67,548 tonnes