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.
| Name | Summary | Year | Downloads |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICES advice following EU request to assess the rebuilding plan for Western horse mackerel | The Pelagic AC has submitted a rebuilding plan for Western horse mackerel to the Commission on 28 July 2020, requesting its evaluation by ICES. The Pelagic AC was pleased that ICES found this plan precautionary, through its evaluation published in April 2021. The PelAC requested the Commission to pursue the general acceptance of the rebuilding plan for this stock in its negotiations with the United Kingdom, in order to jointly request that ICES use the rebuilding plan as a basis for the top line of the advice (rather than in a catch options table) for the TAC advice for Western horse mackerel in 2022, and onwards. | 2021 | ICES advice following WHOM rebuilding plan Commission response |
| Rebuilding plan for western horse mackerel (WHOM) | The purpose of the Western horse mackerel rebuilding plan is to ensure stock recovery to safe biomass levels and a long-term stock exploitation that is consistent with the precautionary approach and with achieving the objective of maximum sustainable yield (MSY). | 2020 | Letter to Commission on rebuilding plan for Western horse mackerel Annex I rebuilding plan for Western horse mackerel Letter to Commission about report western horse mackerel focus group on harvest control rule evaluations 2020 Annex I report WHOM FG on harvest control rule evaluations 2020 Commission response |
| Deductions in North Sea and Western horse mackerel 2020 TACs | Pelagic AC is surprised and confused about the deductions in TAC applied to North Sea and Western horse mackerel (for 2020). The landing obligation became effective from the 1st January 2019 for all TACs and quotas species, and demersal discards plans for the North Sea, North Western Waters and South Western Waters contain small quantities of horse mackerel that could be discarded under the de-minimis exemptions. The Pelagic AC would therefore appreciate further clarification from the Commission on the methodology that was applied for the deductions in the 2020 TACs for North Sea and Western horse mackerel and on the methodology that will continue to be applied in the future. | 2020 | Deductions in NS and Western horse mackerel 2020 TACs Annex explanatory note Commission response |
| Natural mortality of horse mackerel | The Pelagic AC asks the Commission to request the ICES Working Group on Widely Distributed Stocks (WGWIDE) to evaluate alternative options for age varying natural mortality and the possible impacts on the assessment. | 2017 | 1617PAC 102 natural mortality hom Reply JAM |
| Benchmark request Western horse mackerel | The Pelagic AC requests a benchmark meeting for Western horse mackerel by early 2017 at the latest. | 2015 | 1415PAC153 Benchmark request Western horse mackerel |
| Distressing situation of western horse mackerel and mackerel | The Pelagic RAC expresses its worries regarding the fact that the LTMP developed for western horse mackerel has still not been agreed upon, as well as irresponsible unilateral TAC setting for northeast atlantic mackerel. | 2009 | 0910PRAC15 Letter from P-RAC on mackerel and horse mackerel 0910ref10 Reply EC on (Horse) Mackerel |
| Changes to western horse mackerel LTMP | The Pelagic RAC suggests two changes to the long-term management plan for western horse mackerel. | 2009 | 0910PRAC08 Recommendation on horse mackerel plan 0910ref06 Reply EC on LTM horse mackerel |
| Horse mackerel area alignment and sprat | 2008 | 0-0848 Recommendation to EC on horse mackerel and sprat 0809ref07 Reply EC on horse mackerel sprat and shared stocks | |
| Shared and horse mackerel stocks | 2008 | 0809PRAC10 Recommendations shared and horse mackerel stocks 0809ref07 Reply EC on horse mackerel sprat and shared stocks | |
| Fishing opportunities 2013 southern horse mackerel | The Pelagic RAC provides advice on fishing opportunities for southern horse mackerel in 2013. | 2012 | 1112PRAC128 Fishing opportunities 2013 southern horse mackerel 1213ref05 Response EC on fishing opportunities hmackerel herring 2013 and boarfish |