Regulation 2020/1579 - Fixing for 2021 of the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks applicable in the Baltic Sea and amending Regulation (EU) 2020/123 as regards certain fishing opportunities in other waters - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 362/3

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 and other advisory bodies, as well as advice received from Advisory Councils established for the relevant geographical areas or fields of competence and joint recommendations made by Member States.

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.

Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 provides that the objective of the CFP is to achieve the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) exploitation rate by 2015 where possible and, on a progressive, incremental basis, at the latest by 2020 for all stocks.

The total allowable catches (TACs) should therefore be established, in accordance 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 having regard to the opinions expressed during the consultation 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 (‘the plan’). The plan aims to ensure that exploitation of living marine biological resources restores and maintains populations of harvested species above levels which can produce the MSY. To that end, the target fishing mortality for the stocks concerned, expressed in ranges, is to be achieved as soon as possible and, on a progressive, incremental basis, by 2020. It is appropriate that the catch limits applicable in 2021 for the cod, herring and sprat stocks in the Baltic Sea are established in line with the objectives of the plan.

The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has indicated that the biomass of western Baltic herring in ICES subdivisions 20-24 is only 48 % of the limit reference point for spawning stock biomass(Blim), below which it is possible that reproductive capacity might be reduced. Therefore, the scientific advice issued by ICES on 29 May 2020 in its annual stock advice was for zero catches for western Baltic herring. Under Article 5(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1139, all appropriate remedial measures should therefore to be adopted to ensure a rapid return of the stock concerned to levels above the level capable of producing MSY. Moreover, that provision requires further remedial measures to be adopted. To that end, it is necessary to take into account the timeline for the achievement of the objectives of the CFP in general, and of the plan in particular, in view of the...