Council agrees 2011 catch limits for Black Sea
At the end of the first day of their meeting in Brussels, the Council of Fisheries Ministers reached political agreement on TACs and quotas for turbot and sprat fisheries in the Black Sea.
Crucial to this result was an agreement supported by the Member States concerned on an allocation key derived from historical catches which fully recognises the shared nature of the sprat stock. At present, there is no regional fisheries management system for the Black Sea. Establishing an appropriate multi-lateral system to ensure sustainable fisheries in the region is a priority for the Commission over the next few years. Today's decision provides a good basis for future negotiations with the EU's international partners, in particular with Turkey and Russia. In the light of this important progress, and the commitment made by the Member States concerned to work closely with the Commission to improve monitoring and control in these fisheries, agreement was reached on a reduction of 10% in the TACs for each of the two stocks concerned. As a result, the total allowable catch for the EU in the Black Sea was set at 86.4 tons for turbot, and 11 475 tons for sprat. Following agreement of an allocation key for sprat, Bulgaria will receive 70% (8 032.5t) and Romania 30% (3 442.5t) of the TAC.
Council will continue tomorrow morning, when the debate on fishing opportunities for the Atlantic and the North Sea will resume.