Advice and Recommendations

PelAC requests an ICES (inter) benchmark meeting in 2023 that is jointly dedicated to the three horse mackerel stocks (Western, Southern and North Sea) combined, in order to secure an updated evaluation of the PelAC rebuilding plan for Western horse mackerel, as well as enable timely preparations of the negotiations for 2024 TACs.

Regarding the Commission’s call for evidence for the initiative on “Energy transition in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors” the PelAC embraces the emphasis placed by the Commission on multi-stakeholder consultation, and its intent to feed the input from stakeholders into the strategy and roadmap. The PelAC is keen to contribute to these developments and underlines the importance of securing engagement with stakeholders throughout the entire process.

The PelAC intends to deliver detailed input following a workshop foreseen in April 2023, which sets out to address the implications of energy transition in the pelagic fleet.

The PelAC would like to underline its appreciation for ICES’s efforts throughout the years for delivering key presentations on the advice for the stocks under its remit, which forms an essential basis for the subsequent formulation of PelAC recommendations to the European Commission and Member States. However, based on experiences the PelAC cannot over-emphasize its conviction that in-person participation to our meetings by ICES would strongly benefit the interaction between ICES and stakeholders, as well as the quality of the discussion. Therefore PelAC kindly reiterates its request to ICES to review its travel policy and enable the physical attendance of designated ICES representatives to both but at least one of the key meetings on an annual basis.

The rebuilding plan for Western horse mackerel was finalized by Pelagic AC and submitted to the Commission in 2020. This rebuilding plan was evaluated by ICES in 2021 and deemed precautionary.

The recent ICES advice for this stock (published on 30 September 2022) recommends zero catches in 2023. This advice reflects the urgent need to step up efforts in adopting this plan as soon as possible. The purpose of the rebuilding plan is to ensure stock recovery to safe biomass levels as well as a long-term stock exploitation with the objective of achieving MSY. The PelAC would be grateful if the Commission could pursue, as a matter of urgency, the acceptance of the rebuilding plan for this stock in its negotiations with the UK during the next meeting of the Specialized Committee on Fisheries (SCF) organized by the end of October.

In 2020 the North Western Waters AC and the Pelagic AC embarked on developing advice to the European Commission on the impact of seismic and wind energy developments. The Advisory Councils are pleased to jointly submit this follow-up advice following the successful conclusion of their joint workshop held this year.

On both the European and the international level it is yet unclear to what extent (potential cumulative) effects of offshore wind energy developments on fishing areas, for example spawning grounds, nursery areas, or important habitats for fish stocks, are taken into account in a cross-border context, as policy, research and mitigation appear not to be streamlined.

We are at a time where renewable energy can help us to mitigate effects of climate change, however, this comes hand-in-hand with new ecological risks and pressures on already heavily environmentally impacted busy seas with other pressure factors taking place such as underwater noise.

The Pelagic AC provides recommendations on TACs in 2023 for stocks under its remit.

The regional groups are currently reviewing the evaluation of the compliance with the landing obligation for mackerel after the first report published in 2020. The PelAC expressed in several letters its great disappointment over EFCA and the regional groups’ refusal to publish the full report. While the PelAC’s request for the publication of this first report still stands, the ongoing review of the evaluation by the regional groups is an opportunity to rectify this situation and ensure full transparency. Once the review will be completed, the PelAC urges the High-Level regional groups to authorise and instruct the EFCA to publish not only the executive summary but also the integral report, regardless of its conclusions.

Both the Faroe Islands and Norway unilaterally set own quotas for total catches of Mackerel in the Northeast Atlantic. The combined TAC for these two nations now amounts to almost 55% of the recommended annual TAC.

In light of these irresponsible unilateral decisions, which go against all the efforts of the EU and its fleet to sustainably manage fish stocks based on the best possible scientific advice, the PelAC urges the European Commission and the Council of the European Union to take immediate and decisive actions to stop Norway and the Faroe Islands from another year of massive overfishing of this valuable stock.

Finally, the PelAC remains committed to a long-term sustainable management strategy for mackerel and recalls the need for the EU and Coastal States to work towards a management tool considered precautionary by ICES.

At the occasion of the MIACO meeting of 22 June, ICES presented the draft stakeholder engagement strategy and requested input from stakeholders. The Pelagic Advisory Council (PelAC) participated in this meeting and then discussed the draft stakeholder engagement strategy at its Executive Committee meeting on 13 July. The comments were written in a letter to ICES.

Since their establishment under the Common Fisheries Policy as far back as 2005, the Advisory Councils have grown not only in number, but also in reach and in coverage of thematic issues. In recent years the ACs have seen the introduction of wide-ranging policies by the European Commission, such as the Green Deal and its related strategies. The ACs are the ideal vehicles to reach out to hundreds of stakeholders at the same time. Unfortunately, is has become apparent that the invitations to meetings does not seem to extend into all parts of DG MARE with the result that the ACs have been left out of important meetings in the past. The ACs would be grateful if they could be notified as part of the routine scheduling of MARE events.

In its response the Commission agreed to facilitate participation by ACs members by routinely notifying the ACs of the schedules of various MARE events such as the science seminar, and increase the already existing efforts MARE is undertaking in this respect.