Communication: Consultation on the fishing opportunities for 2016 under the Common Fisheries Policy

This Communication sets out the principles for the Commission proposals for fishing opportunities for 2016. Member States, Advisory Councils, stakeholders and the public are invited to reflect on the policy orientations set out in this Communication, and to provide recommendations and suggestions to the Commission by 1 October 2015.

The fishing opportunities for 2016 will be fixed under the objectives of the new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), in particular the objective of bringing the impact of fishing fleets on the stocks (fishing mortality) in the shortest feasible time frame to the levels required to allow stocks to rebuild to biomass levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield (MSY). This will contribute to achieving good environmental status in European seas by 2020 and to reducing the impact of fishing on the marine ecosystem. The Commission will base its proposals for the fishing opportunities on the available biological advice. Where no such advice is available, the Commission will apply the precautionary approach in line with the CFP objectives.

2016 is the year in which the landing obligation for demersal fisheries in the North Sea and in the Atlantic European Union (EU) waters comes into force, bringing an important part of the EU fleet in the North East Atlantic under the obligation to bring and retain on board, and to land all catches. Fishing opportunities for stocks falling under the landing obligation are to be fixed taking into account catches rather than landings, based on biological advice and in the understanding that this should not jeopardise the MSY objective or increase the fishing mortality.

Overfishing is prevalent in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. The Commission is actively pursuing to reverse this situation, through improved knowledge about the resources and management measures, both with Member States, stakeholders and at the international level.

Under Article 50 of the CFP the Commission is obliged to report annually to the European Parliament and the Council on the progress on achieving MSY and on the situation of fish stocks. This Communication reports on that progress.

EUR-Lex: COM(2015)239: Follow the progress of this communication through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2015:239:FIN

ESO: Background information: Commission plans for 2016 fishing opportunities: North and Atlantic seas fisheries progress to sustainability, serious overfishing in Mediterranean http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-commission-plans-for-2016-fishing-opportunities-north-and-atlantic-seas-fisheries-progress-to-sustainability-serious-overfishing-in-mediterranean/

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