Overview
Technical measures may include
- minimum landing sizes and minimum conservation sizes
- specifications for design and use of gears
- minimum mesh sizes for nets
- requirement of selective gears to reduce unwanted catches
- closed areas and seasons
- limitations on by-catches (catches of unwanted or non-target species)
- measures to minimize the impact of fishing on the marine ecosystems and environment
Technical measures regulation
The technical measures regulation entered into force in 2019. Its goal is to contribute to the objectives of the CFP and to achieve good environmental status, as set out in the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and the relevant provisions of the Birds and Habitats Directives. The regulation helps to increase the fishing yield, while reducing impacts on marine ecosystems, especially through increased selectivity.
EU countries with a fisheries interest in a given sea basin can agree on regional technical measures, adapted to the specific regional circumstances. Such measures can then be adopted as EU secondary legislation, if confirmed by scientists to be consistent with the objectives of the common fisheries policy.
The technical measures regulation aims to de-centralise the management of technical features to the regional level. It is therefore important to measure progress regularly. The regulation states that the Commission should carry out such assessments every 3 years.
Implementation reports
News
The EU adopted legislation to make the flatfish fisheries in the Baltic Sea more selective by reducing incidental catches of cod, a heavily depleted stock, with the use of more selective gears.
In a step towards sustainable fisheries management, EU fisheries ministers have reached an agreement on fishing opportunities for 2025 in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. The agreement, which was finalized yesterday, aims to ensure the conservation and sustainable exploitation of demersal stocks in
On 6 December, the EU and the United Kingdom reached an agreement on fishing opportunities for 2025 for more than 88 total allowable catches (TACs) in the North-East Atlantic. The agreement will contribute to the sustainable management of fish stocks jointly managed by the EU and the UK,