Regulation 2015/2072 - Fixing for 2016 of the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks applicable in the Baltic Sea - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 302/1

Article 43(3) of the Treaty provides that the Council is to adopt measures on the fixing and allocation of fishing opportunities, on a proposal from the Commission.

Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) requires that conservation measures be adopted taking into account available scientific, technical and economic advice including, where relevant, reports drawn up by the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (‘STECF’) and other advisory bodies, as well as in the light of any advice received from Advisory Councils.

It is incumbent upon the Council to adopt measures on the fixing and allocation of fishing opportunities, including certain conditions functionally linked thereto, as appropriate. Fishing opportunities should be allocated to Member States in such a way as to ensure the relative stability of fishing activities of each Member State for each stock or fishery and having due regard to the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) set out in Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013.

The total allowable catches (TACs) should therefore be established, in line with Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, on the basis of the available scientific advice, taking into account biological and socioeconomic aspects whilst ensuring fair treatment between fishing sectors, as well as in the light of the opinions expressed during the consultation with stakeholders.

The fishing opportunities for stocks subject to specific multiannual plans should be established in accordance with the rules laid down in those plans. Consequently, catch limits for the cod stocks in the Baltic Sea should be established in accordance with the rules laid down in Council Regulation (EC) No 1098/2007 (2).

Due to changes in the biology of the eastern cod stock, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (‘ICES’) has not been able to establish the biological reference points for cod stocks in ICES subdivisions 25-32, and instead advised that the TAC for that cod stock be based on the data limited approach. The absence of biological reference points made it impossible to follow the rules for fixing and allocating the fishing opportunities for cod stock in those subdivisions set out in Regulation (EC) No 1098/2007. As no fixing and allocating fishing opportunities could seriously threaten the sustainability of the cod stock, it is appropriate, in order to contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the CFP as defined in Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, to fix the TAC on the basis of the data limited approach, at a level corresponding to the approach developed and advised by ICES.

Due to a new approach by ICES to scientific advice for the purpose of fixing of fishing opportunities for cod in subdivisions 22-24, it is appropriate to apply a step-wise approach to reducing fishing opportunities.

In the light of the latest scientific advice, in order to protect the spawning grounds of western cod, it is appropriate to fix fishing opportunities outside the spawning periods (15 February-31 March 2016, and thus not in the month of April, as previously applicable). Such fixing of fishing opportunities will contribute to the positive...