The European Commission is raising alarms following the conclusion of the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission’s (NEAFC) annual meeting, warning that failed agreements could lead to severe overfishing of key shared stocks.
In a statement released after the meeting, the Commission said most members opposed an EU proposal to set the mackerel total allowable catch (TAC) in line with scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). According to the Commission, mackerel stocks in the Northeast Atlantic are already below ICES’ minimum sustainable levels, and the lack of alignment on catch limits “will lead to severe overfishing” of the region’s most important pelagic stock.
The meeting also ended without an agreement on a sharing arrangement for blue whiting, another stock the EU says is already severely overfished. The Commission said it proposed following ICES advice for blue whiting as well, but failed to gain sufficient support among contracting parties.
Beyond catch limits, the Commission expresses concern over resistance to banning transshipment in international waters. While transshipment is already prohibited in many members’ national waters, including EU and UK zones, the lack of agreement at NEAFC undermines efforts to combat IUU fishing. The statement added that limited support for inspection and enforcement measures risks further weakening stock sustainability in the region.
NEAFC said it “regrets that it was not possible to garner collective commitment” to science-based fisheries management and pledged to continue working with partners to secure sustainable management of shared North-East Atlantic stocks.
The 44th annual meeting of the NEAFC was held Nov. 11-14 in London. NEAFC included six contracting parties, including the EU, Denmark (for the Faroe Islands and Greenland), Iceland, Norway, Russia, and the UK.
