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Oceans and fisheries

Multiannual plans

Multiannual plans (MAPs) are an important tool for fisheries management that helps to ensure the sustainable exploitation of fish stocks.

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.

News

  • News announcement

Fishers of the Future: asking EU fishers

Over the last 4 months, a team of national researchers led by Tetra Tech and partners, a consortium contracted by the European Commission, have consulted about 200 fishers in the EU coastal member states in their local languages to define who they are, how they live, and what drives them.

  • News announcement

Setting the scene for the Fishers of the Future

Who are today’s fishers? Over the last three months, a team of national researchers led by Tetra Tech and partners, a consortium contracted by the European Commission, have consulted fishers in all 22 coastal EU Member States to define who they are, how they live, and what drives them.