The total EU fish catch in 2022 was about 3.4 million tonnes of live weight from the seven marine areas covered by EU statistics. Spain’s fishing fleet exceeded one-fifth of all EU catches (22%; 752 000 tonnes), followed by France (15%; 517 000 tonnes) and Denmark (13%; 459 000 tonnes). About 70% of the total […]
European Commission proposes fishing opportunities for 2024 in the Atlantic, Kattegat and Skagerrak
The Commission published its proposal to set catch limits, or total allowable catches (TACs), for 18 fish stocks in the EU waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Kattegat and Skagerrak for 2024. The proposal is based on scientific advice and covers fish stocks managed solely by the EU in those sea basins. For the first time, the Commission is proposing to set nine TACs […]
Fishing for 2024 in the Mediterranean and Black Seas
The Commission adopted its proposal for fishing opportunities for 2024 for the Mediterranean and the Black Seas. The proposal promotes the sustainable management of fish stocks in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas and delivers on the political commitments made in the MedFish4Ever and Sofia Declarations. The Commission proposes to use the same tools that were introduced in the 2022 and […]
EU fisheries ministers discuss fisheries policy and fishing quotas for 2024
Common Fisheries Policy and fishing opportunities for 2024 On the basis of the communication published by the Commission, ministers discussed the state of play of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and their priorities for fishing opportunities for 2024. After the Commission took the floor to outline the main aspects of its communication and its approach to formulating […]
Negative trends for the Spanish fishing fleet
Predictions point to the Spanish fishing fleet continuing its negative trend in terms of fishing effort, landed weight and value in 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, although an increase in the value of landings appears to be recorded in 2022. In terms of operating costs, predictions point to a decrease in 2021. However, energy […]
1 million for the landmark WTO fisheries subsidies agreement
The EU has pledged €1 million for the Fisheries Funding Mechanism which forms part of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies reached last year. Established in November 2022, this new Fisheries Funding Mechanism aims to support sustainability in fisheries and eliminate harmful fisheries subsidies. It will provide grants to developing and least […]
Council approves fishing rights for 2023
After two days of negotiations, agriculture and fisheries ministers reached a political agreement on fishing opportunities for 2023, taking into account the best available scientific advice, while respecting the aims of the common fisheries policy (CFP), and the EU’s multiannual plans for various sea basins. This agreement sets catch limits for over 200 commercial fish […]
Renewable energy powers open sea farming innovation
Meeting growing global demand for protein in a sustainable manner represents a huge challenge for the fishing industry. Could floating offshore aquaculture platforms capable of generating their own renewable energy be the solution? Impressive strides have been made in aquaculture in recent years. Nonetheless, expanding marine fish farming in coastal waters can be challenging. “There […]
Commission proposes fishing opportunities for 2023 in the Baltic Sea in an effort to recover species
The European Commission adopted its proposal for fishing opportunities for 2023 for the Baltic Sea. Based on this proposal, EU countries will determine the maximum quantities of the most important commercial fish species that can be caught in the sea basin. The Commission proposes to increase fishing opportunities for central herring and plaice, while maintaining the […]