News item | 12-12-2023 | 18:27
The Member States of the European Union (EU) today reached an agreement on fishing opportunities for sea fisheries in 2024. The agreement makes clear how much fishermen in the EU Member States may catch per fish stock.
Fisheries agreements
Every year in December, the EU makes agreements about how much fish the various member states may catch in European seas in the coming year, the so-called fishing quotas. Separate agreements are concluded with third countries outside the EU on these fishing opportunities as well as, for example, access to each other’s waters. Sole, plaice, herring and horse mackerel are important to the Dutch fishing sector.
Minister Piet Adema of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV): “I sympathize with the fishermen’s concerns about the outcome of the negotiations. Limiting the catch of sole is important for the conservation of sole in the North Sea. But it is a big blow for Dutch fishermen, their families and the chain. I am and will continue to discuss this with the sector. In addition to the scientific advice for maintaining healthy fish stocks, attention must also be paid to the socio-economic impact on fisheries. Together with other Member States, I am committed to working with the European Commission to achieve more balance in this regard.”
Sole fishing
Negotiations between the European Commission and the United Kingdom were completed on December 8. In this agreement it has been agreed that a -60% reduction applies to sole fishing compared to 2023. This has been established in line with the scientific advice for sole to ensure the conservation of the sole in the North Sea. This has major negative consequences for the Dutch sector. The Netherlands, together with France, Italy, Denmark and Portugal, has therefore called for better consideration of the socio-economic effects. The Netherlands, together with these member states, will also call on the new European Commission to take up this issue.
Eel fishing
The eel population in Europe is in critical condition. For the Netherlands, the closed period for eel remains unchanged compared to last year. This concerns the current closed period from September to November and three additional months that the Netherlands can fill within the set conditions. In addition, there will be closed periods for glass eel fishing in 2024. The Netherlands does not catch glass eel itself, but does supply it for restocking in the context of eel recovery and cultivation for consumption.
Mackerel fishing
Due to the expiry of the EU Access Agreement with Norway, Denmark was unable to fish its quota in Norwegian waters. During the Council, the EU member states made new agreements about this among themselves. This makes the fishing opportunities that could not be used available again. This is, among other things, to the advantage of the Netherlands, because it allows Dutch fishermen to catch more mackerel.
Fishing quota system
Every year in December, the European fisheries ministers and the European Commission decide on the total catch quantities for the coming year. The EU commitment, and that of the Netherlands, is that the fishing opportunities are based on multi-annual management plans and scientific advice from ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea). This assesses how much fish can be caught from a stock without depleting it. On this basis, the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) is negotiated per file. And then it is determined how much of this a Member State may catch, the quota. The outcomes of the negotiations are determined by the Council. The quotas for the individual fishermen are then derived from the total catch quantities using a fixed distribution key.