The European Commission (EC) has adopted its fishing opportunities proposal for 2011 setting levels of total allowable catch (TAC) and fishing effort for the Atlantic, the North Sea, and international waters regulated by a Regional Fisheries Management Organisation.
The EC said the proposal is based on scientific advice about the quantities of fish that can be caught sustainably. The commission has discussed working methods with member states and stakeholders and has taken into account their advice, while being consistent with the objective of achieving maximum sustainable yield (MSY) by 2015.
“We must not lose sight of the basic facts,” said Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki. “The amount of fish in the sea is limited and the amount of fish that can be caught each year without putting the future of the stocks at risk is limited too. Each year we ask scientists to tell us what those limits are. The commission is basing its proposal on that advice.