Regulation 2024/2903 - Fixing of the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks applicable in the Baltic Sea for 2025 and amending Regulation (EU) 2024/257 as regards certain fishing opportunities in other waters - Main contents

Official Journal

of the European Union

EN

L series

2024/2903

19.11.2024

The Council is to adopt measures on the fixing and allocation of fishing opportunities, including certain conditions functionally linked to these fishing opportunities, as appropriate. Under Article 16(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1), fishing opportunities are to be fixed in accordance with the objectives of the common fisheries policy (CFP) as set out in Article 2(2) of that Regulation. Under Article 16(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, fishing opportunities are to be allocated between Member States in such a way as to ensure the relative stability of fishing activities of each Member State for each stock or fishery.

The total allowable catches (TACs) should therefore be established, in accordance with Article 3 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, on the basis of the available scientific advice, taking into account biological and socio-economic implications while ensuring fair treatment between fishing sectors and taking into account the opinions expressed during consultations with stakeholders.

Regulation (EU) 2016/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2) establishes a multiannual plan for the stocks of cod, herring and sprat in the Baltic Sea and for the fisheries exploiting those stocks. In accordance with Article 3(1) of that Regulation, that plan aims to contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the CFP listed in Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013. In particular, the plan seeks to ensure that the exploitation of living marine biological resources restores and maintains populations of harvested species above levels that can produce the maximum sustainable yield (MSY). The plan also aims to contribute to ensuring that fishing and aquaculture activities are environmentally sustainable in the long term and are managed in a way that is consistent with the objectives of achieving economic, social, and employment benefits, and contributing to the availability of food supplies. Those objectives, as further specified in Article 2(5), points (c) and (f), of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, include providing conditions for a viable and competitive fishing, capture and processing industry and land-based fishing related activities, as well as contributing to a fair standard of living for those who depend on fishing activities, bearing in mind coastal fisheries and socio-economic aspects.

On 31 May 2024, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) published its annual stock advice for Baltic stocks for 2025. According to ICES, the vast majority of the fisheries in the Baltic Sea have at least some degree of mixing between stocks. That mixing concerns both stocks managed by a TAC and stocks not managed by a TAC. The most important degree of mixing occurs among pelagic species and demersal species.

For 2025, ICES advises zero catches of western Baltic herring, eastern Baltic cod and salmon in ICES subdivisions 22 to 31. Moreover, ICES recommends low catch levels for western Baltic cod for 2025. Therefore, if the TACs for those stocks were established at the levels advised by ICES, the obligation to land all catches, including by-catches from those stocks in mixed fisheries, would lead to the...