Tourism is undoubtedly an economic backbone of coastal regions. At present about 2.36 million people are employed in the coastal tourism sector, representing 1.1% total EU employment.

The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) will meet in Morocco, Marrakesh from 14 to 19 May 2012. The European Commission represents the EU at the meeting.

What did the catch composition rules intend to achieve?
The catch composition rules were put in place in 2009 to reduce fishing mortality by preventing a targeted fishery for cod, haddock, and whiting. The catches of all three stocks had substantially reduced, and they were considered to have collapsed. The rules were to allow for stocks to recover, but only the haddock stock has improved since.

The European Commission today used emergency powers, under Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002 to reduce and avoid excessive discarding of haddock in the West of Scotland.

Keynote address by Lowri Evans, Director General, Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries at the European Parliament

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the Conference "New Challenges and Opportunities facing Marine Fisheries Science", London, United Kingdom

Commissioner Maria Damanaki, in charge of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, will meet Norvegian ministers and stakeholders during a two day visit to Norway starting Monday 17 October.

Thanks to the continued commitment of the European Union to follow scientific advice and its close cooperation with partner countries, the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO) adopted science-based, precautionary measures...

The fishing sector, NGOs, national administrations, EU institutions and interested members of the public are invited to participate in a discussion on the status of European fish stocks and on corresponding appropriate management measures to be undertaken.

The European Commission today proposed fishing opportunities for anchovy fishing in the Bay of Biscay for the season 1 July 2011 - 30 June 2012.

Today, the EU Ministers met in the framework of the Fisheries Council, in Luxembourg to discuss the Commission's Communication on the Consultation on Fishing Opportunities for 2012, published on 25 May.

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the Fisheries Council, Luxembourg

The Agriculture and Fisheries Council will meet in Luxembourg on Tuesday 28 June, under the presidency of Mr Sandor Fazekas, Hungarian Minister of Rural Development. Maritime Affairs & Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki, ...

Introductory remarks by Commissioner Damanaki at the GLOBE World Oceans Day Forum, London

Today the European Commission published its report on progress achieved in the Common Fisheries Policy over the last few years and its suggestions for fishing opportunities in EU waters in 2012....

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the press conference, BERL Press Room, Brussels

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the European Parliament - Greens/EFA Group Hearing: "How much fish can be safely caught?"

The 15th Plenary Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka from 18 to 22 March. A three-day meeting of the IOTC Compliance Committee had preceded the plenary. The Plenary outcome was rather disappointing for the EU. While...

After more than a decade of ineffective measures to ensure the sustainability of the redfish fisheries in the Irminger Sea (waters between Iceland and Greenland in the NEAFC Convention Area), the Coastal States (Faroe Islands, Greenland and Iceland) along with the European Union and Norway reached agreement in Reykjavik on 17 March on multi-annual interim conservation and management measures for deep and shallow pelagic redfish in the Irminger Sea. These measures, based on an EU proposal, will be applied with immediate effect.

The European Commission welcomes the decision by the 2nd Preparatory Conference for a South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization which concluded Friday last week in Cali, Colombia, to make a substantial reduction in the TAC for jack mackerel.

The European Commission regrets the inability of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) to agree on a new and effective approach to managing tropical tunas at its 7th annual meeting in Honolulu from 6 to 10 December.

The European Commission has tabled its proposal on fishing possibilities for fish stocks in the Black Sea for 2011.

Speech by Commissioner Maria Damanaki at the Plenary Session of the European Parliament

Video on the European Parliament's website

The European Commission wants to eradicate the practice of shark finning completely from EU waters and fishing vessels from the EU wherever they operate in the world. Finning consists of cutting off and keeping the fins of sharks while throwing the shark body overboard to die.

What are TACs and quotas?
A TAC – which stands for total allowable catch – is a legal limit on the overall amount of fish of a particular species that can be taken from the sea in a given area and brought ashore over a specified period (usually one year). A quota is a share of the TAC that can be fished by one Member State.

The European Commission has adopted its fishing opportunities proposal for 2011 setting levels of total allowable catch (TAC) and fishing effort for the Atlantic, the North Sea, and international waters regulated ...

Speech by Commissioner Maria Damanaki at the Symposium on "Improved Fisheries and Science Partnerships as Policy Drivers", Ostend (Belgium)

It has been for several years now that the state of the bluefin tuna stock remains a cause for major concern. Despite the efforts made so far, in particular by the EU, and the progress achieved, there are still open questions regarding how we can ensure the long sustainability of the species. This, in turn, is the only way by which our fishermen can keep on with their activity.

European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Maria Damanaki, will open a one-day seminar on the state of fish stocks in European waters tomorrow.

On 14 September, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Maria Damanaki, will open a one-day seminar on the state of fish stocks in European waters.

The European Commission today proposed a total allowable catch (TAC) of 15 600 tonnes of anchovy in the Bay of Biscay for the fishing season 1 July 2010 - 30 June 2011.

WebGR - Web services for support of growth and reproduction studies

On May 2 and 3 over 230 people with an interest in fisheries (from Member State administrations, RACs and ACFA, industry, NGO's, members of the European Parliament or representatives of the main EU institutions) gathered in La Coruna, Spain, to take part in a broad stakeholders’ conference discussing some of the main pillars of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.

What are TACs and Quotas?

Ideally, fishing activities would take from each stock no more fish than can safely be removed without inhibiting the stock's capacity to spawn and to bring in young fish to the stock.