Recommendations 2021
Deepsea mining in international waters (joint LDAC-PelAC-NWWAC advice)
Documents:
Letter to Commission on deepsea mining in international waters
Keywords:
Healthy seabeds, biodiversity loss, moratorium on mining of the deep-sea, case for deep sea mining needs to be evaluated, stop funding or facilitating or promoting the development of deep-sea mining and deep-sea mining technology.
Summary:
From the LDAC-PELAC-NWWAC, we would like to see further transparency and an integrated multi sectorial database containing data from all ocean activities including fisheries, oil and gas exploitation, seabed mining, etc. in both non-EU exclusive economic zones and the high seas.
Fishing opportunities 2022
Documents:
Keywords:
Blue whiting, Atlanto-Scandian herring, North Sea horse mackerel, North Sea autumn spawning herring, 3A/ Western Baltic spring spawning herring, Northeast Atlantic mackerel, Western horse mackerel, Southern horse mackerel, Boarfish, Herring in ICES area 6a and 7b,c, Celtic Sea herring, Irish Sea herring.
Summary:
The Pelagic AC provides recommendations on TACs in 2022 for stocks under its remit.
Consultation – Review Marine Strategy Framework Directive
Documents:
Keywords:
Consultation – Review Marine Strategy Framework Directive, healthy marine ecosystems, marine environment, engagement of stakeholders
Summary:
Pelagic Advisory Council welcomes the opportunity to share responses to the Commission’s questionnaire on the review of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). One key recommendation from the Pelagic AC for improvement would be, to reflect on what can be done to enhance the engagement of stakeholders in the field of (pelagic) fisheries to the MSFD.
PelAC request to NSAC and NWWAC to deal with pelagic stocks
Documents:
Keywords:
North Sea Advisory Council (NSAC), North Western Waters Advisory Council (NWWAC), post-Brexit, CFP 1380/2013, ICES sub areas IV and IIIa (Sprat, Norway pout, Greater silver smelt), ICES divisions IVa–c, 6a and Subdivisions 20-22 (Sandeel), ICES subarea VI and areas VIIa-k (sprat), Union waters of ICES areas VI and VII (Greater silver smelt).
Summary:
PelAC has sent letters to NSAC and NWWAC to request to deal with pelagic stocks in several areas: CFP 1380/2013, ICES sub areas IV and IIIa (Sprat, Norway pout, Greater silver smelt), ICES divisions IVa–c, 6a and Subdivisions 20-22 (Sandeel), ICES subarea VI and areas VIIa-k (sprat), Union waters of ICES areas VI and VII (Greater silver smelt).
The NSAC/NWWAC are currently not issuing advice for these stocks.
We propose that the Pelagic AC covers these stocks informally while awaiting the next reform of the CFP, where Annex III can be amended formally to reflect this change.
Social dimension to fisheries management and policy
Documents:
Letter to COM on social welfare
Keywords:
Long Distance Advisory Council (LDAC), Europêche, European Transport Workers Federation (ETF), social dimension, fisheries management, policy, important legal instruments for maritime safety and labour
Summary:
The joint letter highlights a number of important legal instruments for maritime safety and labour in EU fisheries and underscores the pressing need to ensure all necessary elements are appropriately and rapidly transposed into relevant community and national law, for the benefit of seafarers and their communities. The central tenets of this joint communication, for which we would like to express our strong support.
Request for inclusion of pelagic chapter in future STECF Annual Economic Reports
Documents:
Letter to COM for second request PELAC chapter STECF fleet report
Letter to STECF for request PelAC chapter STECF fleet report
Keywords:
pelagic, STECF, Annual Economic Report on the EU fishing fleet, AER, structure in Europe
Summary:
The Pelagic AC reiterates that a pelagic chapter would present the sector proportionally relative to the demersal fleet and highlight its importance in Europe in terms of economic performance. It would also capture the impact of reductions in catch advice. PelAC is requesting STECF to include a chapter on pelagic fisheries in its AERs but on a continuous basis.
Southern Horse Mackerel management plan
Documents:
Letter to Commission on agreed amendment to SHOM long-term management strategy
Keywords:
Management strategy for Southern horse mackerel, South Western Waters Advisory Council, article 5.1, TAC setting procedures, ICES WGHANSA meeting
Summary:
The PELAC reaffirms its intention to continue pursuing the development of a management strategy for Southern horse mackerel. The Commission advises that Pelagid AC liaise and coordinate with the South Western Waters Advisory Council on an agreed approach for this management plan.
Update: Following a second meeting of the SHOM FG between the PelAC and the SWWAC on the 18th May 2021, this single amendment – to Article 5.1 of the management strategy (TAC setting procedures) – has been agreed on a consensus basis.
Request to ICES to review EASME genetics sampling report
Documents:
Request to review EASME genetics sampling report
Letter to Commission on follow-up
PelAC letter to Member State Ireland on peer review EASME report
PelAC letter to Member State Netherlands on peer review EASME report
Keywords:
Final report, EASME-funded project, ICES Stock Identification Methods Working Group, SIMWG, benchmark assessments, herring 6a, 7bc, scientific assessment, Southern and Northern stocks, genetic, morphometric, analysis
Summary:
The Pelagic Advisory Council would like to formally inquire about the status of the review of the final report for the EASME-funded project 'Herring in Divisions 6.a, 7.b and 7.c: Scientific Assessment of the Identity of the Southern and Northern Stocks through Genetic and Morphometric Analysis', which concluded in December 2020.It is imperative that this review is conducted as soon as possible so that the results of the project can be incorporated into the revised stock assessments that are being developed for the forthcoming benchmark assessments.
Update 1: the final project report for the EASME-funded project 'Herring in Divisions 6.a, 7.b and 7.c: Scientific Assessment of the Identity of the Southern and Northern Stocks through Genetic and Morphometric Analysis', which concluded in December 2020, has now been published on the EU Publications Office.
Update 2: PelAC letter to Commission sent on 4 May: The Commission has been asked if this formal review has been requested from ICES. If it has not, PelAC request that this recommendation be expedited as a matter of urgency, to enable timely completion before the first benchmark meeting of 6a, 7bc herring expected in November 2021.
Stakeholder participation in future fisheries management and governance structures, post-Brexit
Documents:
Letter on stakeholder participation
Keywords:
Stakeholder participation, management and governance structures, UK, post-Brexit, Trade & Cooperation Agreement, Article FISH.16, CFP.
Summary:
The Advisory Councils wish to collectively emphasise the vital importance of stakeholder participation in future management and governance structures to be established for partnership working with the UK. We urge the Commission to plan to ensure that stakeholder engagement and advice is central to all future management and governance structures being developed as the new relationship between the EU and UK takes concrete form.
ICES advice following EU request to assess the rebuilding plan for Western horse mackerel
Documents:
ICES advice following WHOM rebuilding plan
Keywords:
Rebuilding plan, Western horse mackerel, evaluation by ICES, precarious state of the stock, recovery, UK, TAC, 2022.
Summary:
PelAC requests 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.
North Sea herring TAC calculations & Management Strategy Evaluation for blue whiting
Documents:
NS herring & Blue whiting Management Strategy Evaluation
Keywords:
North Sea herring, Total Allowable Catches, TACs, area 3a and 4.
Blue whiting, Management Strategy Evaluation, MSE, unilateral quota-setting, Coastal States, ICES.
Summary:
North Sea herring: PelAC members would like to request a clarification on how the different Total Allowable Catches (TACs) are calculated for herring in Area 4 and herring in Area 3a.
Blue whiting: in a letter of 14 October 2020 PelAC recommended that a Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) be carried out for this stock. Now PelAC requests an update on this matter.
Technical Measures Regulation – preparation of the implementation report
Documents:
Techn measures regulation questionnaire by Commission
Response to Commission on Technical Measures Regulation Questionnaire
Keywords:
Implementation, Regulation, (EU) 2019/1241, fisheries resources, marine ecosystems, technical measures, data collection frameworks
Summary:
The Pelagic AC welcomes the opportunity to share responses to the Commission’s questionnaire on the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 on the conservation of fisheries resources and the protection of marine ecosystems through technical measures.
Inclusion of PelAC genetics studies in Data Collection Framework
Documents:
Letter to Commission on Data Collection Framework (DCF)
Keywords:
Large-scale genetics project, stock identification, Data Collection Framework, DCF, EASME-funded project,
Summary:
The Pelagic AC believes it is vital that the methods used for genetics sampling and analysis are included in the Data Collection Multi-Annual Programme that is currently under development.
Stakeholder Information in ICES Advice
Documents:
Letter to Commission on stakeholder information in ICES advice
Keywords:
Remove, “Stakeholder Information”, section, ICES advice sheets, ACOM, Workshop for a Research Roadmap for Mackerel, WKRRMAC.
Summary:
ICES notified the ACs of its decision to remove the “Stakeholder Information” section in ICES advice sheets moving forward. This decision has taken the Pelagic Advisory Council (PelAC) by surprise, and we would like bring to your attention our concerns about this issue.