EC sets out proposed fish quotas for Mediterranean, Black Seas

The EU Commission set out its proposals for fishing opportunities for 2021 in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas Monday, saying these reflect ambitions to promote sustainable management of fish stocks.

 The EU Commission set out its proposals for fishing opportunities for 2021 in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas Monday, saying these reflect ambitions to promote sustainable management of fish stocks.

The proposal implements the multi-annual management plan for demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean, by continuing to reduce the fishing effort in the area.

It also includes measures for eel, red coral, dolphinfish, small pelagic species and demersal stocks in the Adriatic, deep water red shrimps stocks in the Ionian Sea, Levant Sea and the Strait of Sicily, in line with the decisions of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM).

In the Black Sea, catch limits and quotas are proposed for turbot and sprat. For turbot, the proposal will transpose the EU quota decided in the context of the revision of the GFCM turbot multi-annual management plan. For sprat, the Commission proposes to maintain the same catch limit as in 2020.

The Member States are expected to decide on the proposal at the November Agriculture and Fisheries Council. The regulation is to be applied as of 1 January 2021.