Today, the European Commission announced deductions from 2014 fishing quotas to a group of ten Member States that exceeded their quotas for 2013.
The European Commission announces these deductions on a yearly basis to immediately address the damage done to the stocks overfished in the previous year and ensure a sustainable use by Member States of common fishery resources.
Maria Damanaki, Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, said: “If we want to be serious in our fight against overfishing, we need to apply our rules by the book – and this includes the respect of quotas. I’m glad to see that we did a better job in 2013 than in previous years when it comes to staying within quotas. That said, to achieve healthy fish stocks across Europe we also need efficient controls to enforce the rules in place.”
During 2013, approximately 45 stocks of 29 species were subject to quota overshoot. Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and United Kingdom will all receive quota reductions for 2014. The deductions, which total 21 286 tonnes, will apply to the same stocks that were overfished, with additional cuts for consecutive overfishing, overfishing above 5%, or if the stock concerned is subject to a multiannual plan. In cases where a Member State has no fishing quota left to “pay back”, the deduction will apply to another stock in the same geographical area, in consultation with the Member States concerned, or will be carried over to the following year.
Minor quota overshoot happens regularly and can be a result of administrative routines and lag times before catches are reported and compiled. However, the Commission table shows some very significant figures as well, particularly for Spain, such as overfishing of blue ling, blue marlin and haddock. This is more serious and needs to be addressed in future.
The legal basis for deductions is Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009, which mandates the Commission to operate deductions from future quotas of the Member States that have overfished. Certain multiplying factors apply, as set out in Article 105(2) and (3) of the Regulation with a view to ensure the sustainability of the stocks.