Management of the EU's fish stocks
EU member states have defined common rules, through the EU's common fisheries policy, to manage fish resources and ensure that these can be used sustainably while providing healthy food at reasonable prices.
Why does the EU need to manage fish stocks?
Fish, as well as aquaculture products, are an important component of a healthy diet. The EU is the world's biggest market for seafood. On average, 24.4 kg of fish or seafood per citizen are consumed every year in the EU. 75% of the consumed fish and seafood comes from wild fisheries.
Fish resources are not unlimited and overfishing can impact stocks' reproductive capacity. Without some control over who fishes what, some fish stocks may collapse or stop being economically viable to catch.
Part of the EU's common fisheries policy, the EU's fisheries management system:
- helps safeguard fish stock reproduction
- prepares the conditions for a profitable fishing industry
- shares out fishing opportunities
- plays a key role in preserving the marine ecosystem
Setting catch limits and quotas (infographic)
The EU fisheries management system
Most important EU fish stocks and fisheries are managed at EU level, through:
- multiannual management plans
- annual catch limits (known as TACs)
Each multiannual management plan contains goals for fish stock management and may also include other specific conservation rules. In addition, multiannual plans include a maximum sustainable yield target and a deadline for achieving this target.
The EU sets annual catch limits for most commercial fish stocks. These are also called total allowable catches (TACs) or fishing opportunities. Each TAC is shared among the EU member states through national quotas. Individual member states are responsible for ensuring that their quotas are not overfished.
Quotas and catch limits concern the fish stocks which are found in EU waters or fished by EU fishing vessels in certain non-EU waters.
Key terms
Fish stock - the living resources in a sea community from which catches are taken. This may include the population of one or more fish species, invertebrates and plants
Total allowable catches (TACs), also referred to as fishing opportunities - the maximum quantities of fish from specific stocks that can be caught (expressed in tonnes or numbers)
Quotas (national) - the share of the total allowable catch which is allowed to each member state
Maximum sustainable yield - the largest catch that can be taken from a species' stock without reducing the size of the population
Where are EU waters located?
This map shows the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of the EU's member states. Each country holds rights to exploit marine resources in their zone. EU member states manage most resources jointly on the basis of rules agreed with the EU's common fisheries policy.
Coastline: © EuroGeographics, © FAO (UN). EEZ: © VLIZ, Source: European Commission – Eurostat/GISCO
International agreements: co-management of fish stocks
For fish stocks that are shared and jointly managed with non-EU countries, fishing opportunities agreed at EU level have to be in line with the results of recurring consultations with those non-EU countries. These consultations are based on international agreements on cooperation in fisheries management.
International agreements are an important part of fisheries management in the EU. Two main types of international fisheries agreements are bilateral agreements and multilateral agreements.
Fishing quotas after Brexit (infographic)
With the departure of the United Kingdom from the EU, fishing opportunities for stocks shared between the EU and the UK are defined in line with the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. According to the agreement, which entered into force on 1 May 2021, the EU and the UK are to hold annual consultations to determine fishing opportunities for shared stocks for the following year.
What is the role of the Council in managing fish stocks?
The Council plays an key role in the management of EU fish stocks and determining fishing opportunities for operators in the member states, as established in article 43 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU.
The Council's responsibilities include:
- fixing total allowable catches (TACs)
- allocating fishing opportunities to member states
In practical terms, this means that every year the Council, on the basis of proposals from the European Commission which are founded on scientific advice, adopts the annual catch limits and quotas for each fish stock under its management. This takes the form of a regulation which can be updated as necessary throughout the year.
Regarding international fisheries agreements, the Council is responsible for:
- providing the mandate for negotiations
- signing agreements on behalf of the EU
- adopting the final decision implementing agreements into EU law
The Council also provides the negotiating mandate to the Commission when it represents the EU in the various regional fisheries management organisations the EU is a member of.
The EU has exclusive competence concerning 'the conservation of marine biological resources under the common fisheries policy', according to the EU treaties. Other fisheries policy areas (market policy, control and aquaculture) are a shared competence. The ordinary legislative procedure applies to almost all fisheries decisions, with the notable exception of setting catch limits and quotas which is a Council prerogative.