Next year’s catch quotas for the Baltic Sea will be decided at the October Council meeting on 21 October.
Cuts have been proposed for sprat and some herring stocks, whereas a 13% increase in the TAC for Western Baltic cod is recommended along with a 15% rise in Eastern cod, this is in line with the long-term management plan.
Moreover, the Commission will face a test case for their proposed cuts of 25% for stocks of which scientific advice is lacking. As the plaice stock in the Baltic is data poor, the Commission have gone beyond the recommendation of ICES to argue for such a cut. Resistance in the Council is expected to this initiative.
An exchange of views on EU/Norway annual negotiations will also take place. These will focus on detailed management arrangements for the seven jointly managed stocks in the North Sea (cod, haddock, plaice, whiting, herring, mackerel and saithe), as well as management arrangements for the Skagerrak and Kattegat, and exchanges of fishing possibilities for 2012.
Prior to the Council meeting, FISH and Seas At Risk sent a letter to all EU Fisheries ministers and their advisers, providing recommendations on the Baltic TACs. Attached to the letter was a detailed background analysis on the issue.