Source: European Parliament
The Commission proposal for the 2025 fishing opportunities under the legislative framework of the Western Mediterranean management plan[1] (MAP) is based on the best available scientific advice provided by the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries[2] (STECF).
The advice showed that several of the stocks concerned by the MAP are outside of safe biological limits and important catch reductions are needed for the stocks to recover.
The MAP’s aim is to secure a sustainable and profitable future for the sector relying on healthy fish stocks. While the fishing opportunities adopted by the Council have gradually reduced the trawling effort since 2020, numerous flexibilities alleviated the total reduction, such as the recovered fishing days granted by the compensation mechanism.
European financial assistance is available to those fishers who opt in. For 2025, the Council adopted the fishing effort reductions proposed by Commission, together with an expanded compensation mechanism based on conservation measures. The Commission will continue working with the Member States and the fishing sector for the implementation of the MAP.
The socioeconomic specificities of the Western Mediterranean fisheries were considered during the negotiations of the MAP, and the co-legislators agreed to postpone the binding rule for Maximum Sustainable Yield to 2025[3].
The Commission has worked based on STECF socioeconomic analyses that conclude how ambitious management measures will rapidly pay off with more healthy stocks and increased sector profitability.
The Commission worked with all stakeholders to implement gradually the MAP and has continuously recommended a broad range of measures[4] to help with its implementation .
- [1] Regulation (EU) 2019/1022 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 establishing a multiannual plan for the fisheries exploiting demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean Sea and amending Regulation (EU) No 508/2014. OJ L 172, 26.6.2019, p. 1-17.
- [2] STECF Expert Working Group EWG 24-10 (https://stecf.jrc.ec.europa.eu/documents/d/stecf/tors_ewg_24-10) and STECF Expert Working Group EWG 24-12 (https://stecf.jrc.ec.europa.eu/documents/d/stecf/ewg_24-12_tor_westmed_fisheries-management).
- [3] A 5-year derogation compared to other sea basins, for which the legal requirement to achieve sustainable fisheries had to be achieved by 2020 at the latest.
- [4] Measures supported by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF).