Mediterranean and Black Seas: Commission proposes fishing opportunities for 2021

Today, the Commission adopted a proposal for the fishing opportunities for 2021 in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas. With the proposed fishing quota for certain fish stock, the Commission is thus delivering on the political commitments made in the ‘MedFish4ever’ and the Sofia Declarations to promote sustainable management of fish stocks in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas. The proposal implements the multiannual management plan for demersal stocks in the Western Mediterranean, by continuing the political commitment to further reduce the fishing effort in the area of up to 40% in five years (2020-2024). It also includes notably measures for eel, red coral, dolphinfish, small pelagic species and demersal stocks in the Adriatic, deep water red shrimps stocks in the Ionian Sea, Levant Sea and the Strait of Sicily, in line with the decisions of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM). In the Black Sea, catch limits and quotas are proposed for turbot and sprat. For turbot, the proposal will transpose the EU quota decided in the context of the revision of the GFCM turbot multiannual management plan. For sprat, the Commission proposes to maintain the same catch limit as in 2020. The Member States are expected to decide on the proposal at the November Agriculture and Fisheries Council and the quota are to be applied as of 1 January 2021. More information is available here.