Advice and Recommendations

The Pelagic AC provides credible, scientific, and consensus-based advice to inform pelagic fisheries policy, both upon the request of the European Commission and Member States, and on its own initiative. All advice and recommendations are developed and approved by the members of the Pelagic AC. 

Our advice — and responses to it — may be accessed below.

Show Filters
NameSummaryYearDownloads
PelAC letter on Consultation on emergency measures FR for cetacean bycatch in Bay of Biscay

On 18 January 2024, a French decree establishing the same spatial-temporal bycatch protection measures was published, and concerns all the EU fishing fleets. This decree makes reference to having consulted the relevant Advisory Councils. The PelAC hereby formally reacts on the procedure regarding this issue.

2024 Letter to Com
Joint-AC letter on ACs stakeholder input

The Advisory Councils (ACs) thank the Commission for the increased frequency of Inter-AC meetings as well as production of written minutes and ensuring high-level Commission participation. This enhances the visibility and recognition of the important role of the ACs.
With this letter they wish to collectively share their thoughts on how to further improve the active engagement between the Commission and the ACs.

2023 Letter to Com Commission response
PelAC call for urgent planning of inter-benchmark meeting for horse mackerel

Following earlier PelAC recommendations the PelAC requests the Commission’s support in expediting the ICES inter-benchmark meeting that is jointly dedicated to the three horse mackerel stocks.

2023 Letter to Com Commission Response
PelAC letter to NWW MS Group on compliance evaluation LO report publication

The PelAC requests the NWW HLG to accelerate its decision on the matter of the publication of the report on the evaluation of compliance with the landing obligation for mackerel in NS and NWW 2018-2020.

2023 Letter to NWW MS Group
Fishing opportunities 2024

The Pelagic AC provides recommendations on TACs in 2024 for stocks under its remit.

2023 Letter to Com
PelAC recommendation on Energy transition in the pelagic sector

Following the PelAC workshop on 20 April 2023, the PelAC sent this first advice piece to the Commission and Member States dedicated to energy transition, from the specific perspective of the fishery segment on small pelagic fish. These recommendations are the result of reflections following the material presented at the workshop and the subsequent discussions in the PelAC Ecosystem Focus Group and outline the PelAC’s views on how this transition could take form, under what conditions and what barriers would need to be addressed. We see this as a first contribution to the knowledge base and the reflections on this key new topic, with more to follow.

2023 Letter to Com
PelAC recommendation on EAFM

The PelAC developed the recommendations as set out in this letter, as a result of discussions and reflections during the PelAC workshop on EAFM organized in February 2023, which sought to identify approaches to implement EAFM in pelagic fisheries, as well as gather elements to enable further progress in relation to integrating ecosystem variables in pelagic fisheries management, and to identify knowledge gaps. The PelAC hopes the Commission will find these recommendations useful in their reflections to gradually move beyond single-species advice and to further develop the uptake of ecosystem considerations and climate driven changes into fisheries advice and management strategy evaluations.

2023 Letter to COM Commission response
PelAC advice on CFP Package

The PelAC submited its unanimous views taking a pelagic fisheries perspective. As such, the response is based on a selection of sections and actions in the documents, deemed most relevant for pelagic stocks that fall under remit of the PelAC. The PelAC hopes that this advice will help to inform the Member States on the further implementation of the actions set out in the documents and provide material for further reflections.

The letter is submitted to the following Member State Goups: Scheveningen Group, North Western Waters and South Western Waters regional groups.

2023 Letter to Scheveningen Group Letter to SWW Letter to NWW
PelAC recommendation on harmonising the implementation of the bycatch TAC for Western horse mackerel

Following the PelAC rebuilding plan for Western horse mackerel sent to the Commission in July 2020, the Pelac now recalls its recommendation for an urgent benchmark dedicated tot he three horese mackerel stocks.

The PelAC also wishes to point out that the decision for setting a ‘bycatch’ TAC for Western horse mackerel for 2023, has led to unforeseen pratical issues in the implementation by Member States, jeopardising the level palying field for EU industries fhishing this stock.

In this recommendation the PelAC outlines the difficulties encountered in the implementation of the bycatch quota in 2023 across the different Member States based on feedback received by its industry members, and asks for Commission support to establish coherence between MS approaches to avoid similar difficulties in 2024, as a fallback solution in the event that it is not possible to hold a benchmark in 2023.

2023 Letter to COM
Joint Recommendation NWWAC/PelAC on Sprat in English Channel

The NWWAC and PelAC sent a joint recommendation on Sprat in the English Channel following the ICES advice.

2023 Letter to COM Commission Response

We use third-party cookies to personalise content and analyse site traffic.

Learn more