Advice and Recommendations

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.

Following a joint PelAC-EFCA workshop on the implementation of the landing obligation in March 2020, the PelAC became aware of the publication of a summary of the evaluation of compliance with the landing obligation report for the mackerel fishery, on the EFCA website. This summary makes allegations of non-compliance in the mackerel fishery, the basis of which cannot be verified through the executive summary. To this date, after numerous requests to relevant Member State groups and directly to the agency, EFCA has refused to disclose the full report containing the data and methodology behind the conclusions presented in the summary. The Pelagic AC has escalated this plea to the level of the Commission and asked for the release the report as a matter of urgency – or to ask for the executive summary to be removed from the EFCA website altogether. More generally, the PelAC requested the Commission to work with EFCA to increase transparency in the work of the agency. In addition, the PelAC has put forward a request for disclosure through a Freedom of Information request. Regrettably, the Commission was unable to assist the PelAC in this matter. The Pelagic AC will invite to newly appointed Director of EFCA to a future Executive Committee meeting to further discuss this issue and try to come to a status quo that is acceptable to PelAC members.

In light of the letter addressed to the Commission from a number of NGOs, dated 22 July 2020, regarding the ‘Participation of NGOs in Advisory Councils’, the Pelagic AC wished to share on behalf of its members some commentary on the subject of the functioning of the European Advisory Councils. The PelAC acknowledges that the letter to the Commission outlined that even well-functioning Advisory Councils should consider ways in which the best practices already in existence can be further, and more formally, enshrined within procedures and statutes. With this in mind, and having received detailed recommendations from PelAC OIG members, which will be considered by the full membership, the PelAC intends to undertake a third-party performance review of its functioning in 2021. This is an exercise that will be carried out in parallel with the important task of re-defining the PelAC’s future in the post-Brexit landscape – and, as a result, is likely to take place in the second half of the year.

The Pelagic AC provides recommendations on TACs in 2021 for stocks under its remit.

Pelagic AC requests to include the density dependence compenent to the ICES workshop because the WKRRMAC is intended to look forward and build a roadmap for future science in relation to mackerel.

The Pelagic AC firmly believes the inclusion of a specific pelagic chapter in the STECF fleet report is needed for the report to fully reflect the correct fleet structure in Europe. The inclusion of such a chapter would present the sector proportionally relative to the demersal fleet and highlight its importance in Europe in terms of economic performance.

The PELAC urges the Commission to attend the most important meetings, e.g. when TAC advice is being discussed to reinstate a good working relationship with the PELAC.

The Pelagic AC requests clarification from ICES regarding the editorial rights to information provided by stakeholders.

The Pelagic AC informs the Advisory Committee of ICES on its intention to collect data suitable to be used as a basis for ICES advice.

In this letter the Pelagic AC expresses concern towards the lack of a response from the Commission on the advice on fishing opportunities, which is one of the AC’s core advice functions.