Ministers agree 2019 fishing quotas for Baltic Sea

(LUXEMBOURG) - After day-long talks, EU fisheries ministers agreed Monday on next year's total allowable catches (TACs) and member states' quotas for the ten commercially most important fish stocks in the Baltic Sea.

The Council decided to increase fishing opportunities for plaice (+43%), sprat (+3%), Western cod (+70%), and herring in the Gulf of Riga (+7%). The Council also rolled-over the TACs for main basin salmon, and decided to decrease the future amounts to be fished for Central herring (-26%), Bothnian herring (-7%), Western herring (-48%), Eastern cod (-15%), and salmon in the Gulf of Finland (-3%).

Thanks to this agreement, 7 out of 8 stocks for which complete scientific advice was available will be fished in line with the principle of maximum sustainable yield (MSY), covering 98% of fish landings in volume.

The agreed quantities take into account the commitment to meeting the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), including the achievement of MSY, as well as scientific advice provided in particular by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). The provisions of the multi-annual management plan for the Baltic sea have also been closely followed.

In addition to setting TACs and national quotas on some species, the Council confirmed the extension to 2019 of some management measures currently in place to improve the state of the stock Baltic cod (bag limitations in recreational fisheries for the Western cod and closure period from 1 to 31 July, with derogations for small coastal fisheries for the Eastern cod).

In the context of discussions on fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea, the Council also:

• introduced an inter-area flexibility for salmon from subdivisions 22-31 (main basin) to 32 (Gulf of Finland) for those member states requesting it, together with measures to address misreporting of catches
• fixed the EU quota for Norway pout for the next fishing season running from 1 November 2018 to 31 October 2019 to 50 000 tonnes, thereby guaranteeing continuity in the fisheries of this short lived species
• agreed on an in-year amendment to the TAC for anchovy and the modification of the TAC period that will now last until 30 June 2019

Preparatory work conducive to finding swift agreement was carried out at regional level through BALTFISH, a body providing a platform for discussion on important fisheries issues in the Baltic Sea, currently under Swedish chairmanship.

Council agreement on 2018 catch limits in the Baltic Sea

Legend: Latin name - English name/ Nom français/ Deutsche name
Clupea harengus -  herring/ hareng/ Hering
Gadus morhua -  cod/ morue/ Dorsch
Pleuronectes platessa - plaice/ plie/ Scholle
Salmo salar - Atlantic salmon/ saumon atlantique/ Lachs
Sprattus sprattus -  sprat/ sprat/ Sprotte

Agriculture and Fisheries Council, 15/10/2018