Overview
Almost all important stocks and fisheries are managed by means of multiannual plans, which contain goals for fish stock management. Some plans
- contain a detailed and tailor-made roadmap for achieving objectives (e.g. MSY)
- include fishing effort restrictions
- contain specific control rules and technical measures
Multiannual plans also contain measures for implementing the landing obligation, safeguards for remedial action and review clauses.
Regionalisation
Regionalisation allows EU countries to submit, through joint recommendations, detailed measures under specific management instruments.
The common fisheries policy (CFP) foresees regionalisation for a number of instruments
- multiannual plans
- discard plans
- establishment of fish stock recovery areas
- conservation measures for compliance with EU environmental laws
- technical measures
In order to ensure that joint recommendations reflect the stakeholders’ views, EU countries first consult the relevant Advisory Councils.
Law
Regulations establishing multiannual plans
Cod, herring and sprat stocks in the Baltic Sea
Demersal stocks in the North Sea
Demersal stocks in western Mediterranean Sea
Stocks fished in western waters
Other legislation
Regulation: establishing specific conditions for fishing in the north-east Atlantic
Regulation: conservation of fish stocks in non-sustainable fishing
Regulation: establishing measures for the recovery of European eel
Regulation: multiannual recovery plan for bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean
News
- News announcement
Northern hake faced a critical period of overfishing in the '90s, pushing it near the brink of collapse, with the overall biomass dangerously low for about a decade. However, the European Union's intervention in 2004, with a recovery plan that set science-based fishing limits and gear restrictions,
- 1 min read
- News announcement
The EU was granted fishing opportunities for chub mackerel at the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC) annual session, held from 15 to 18 April 2024 in Osaka, Japan. Chub mackerel is an important commercial species and EU fishing fleet will be allowed to participate in this NPFC fishery.
- 2 min read
- Press release
Today, the European Union requested consultations with the United Kingdom under the dispute settlement mechanism of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) regarding the United Kingdom's decision to prohibit the fishing of sandeel, with the aim of reaching a mutually agreeable solution.