EN    EN EN 
 
EN 1   EN  COMMISSION OF THE E UROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
Brussels, 21.4.2009 
SEC(2009) 525 
  
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 
Accompanying document to the 
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL REGULATION 
establishing a long-term plan for the We stern stock of Atlantic horse mackerel 
SUMMARY OF THE IMPACT ASSESSMENT  
 
{COM(2009) 189} 
{SEC(2009) 524} 
 
EN 2   EN COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 
SUMMARY OF THE IMPACT ASSESSMENT  
on the proposal establishing a multi-annual pl an for the western stock of Atlantic horse 
mackerel and the fisheries exploiting that stock 
The Impact Assessment concerns a draft pro posal that would set long-term management 
objectives and implementing methods concerning the fisheries for the Western stock of the 
Atlantic horse mackerel. The scope of the propos al is of medium importance, covering about 
60 million EUR per year in terms of catch valu e. Approximately 600 vessels, 6000 at-sea jobs 
and some 140,000 tonnes of fish catch for hu man consumption would be affected by the 
proposal, which is intended to deliver stability and sustainability. The fleet segments involved 
in this fishery are dominated by medium to large pelagic trawlers. The Impact Assessment 
focuses on those fleet segments which have hor se mackerel among their five most important 
species. These segments cover about 83% of the overall catch. The value of the horse 
mackerel catches comprises only a small to medium important part of similar catching 
opportunities available to the same fishing fleet s (between 1 and 20% according to the fleet 
concerned). 
The objective of the proposal is to: 
• contribute to implementing the Common Fisherie s Policy's overall objective (ensuring the 
sustainable exploitation of marine living resources in ec ological, economic and social 
terms) for one concrete stock. This will be  achieved by ensuring that the annual decision-
making on fishing possibilities corresponds to biological indicators on the development of 
the stock which the most renowned scientific bodies have confirmed as being meaningful. 
• As an ancillary objective, the proposal aims  to establish, for th e sector concerned, 
predictability for the annual legislative decisi ons on total allowable catch for the stock, and 
to provide stability to such decision-making. 
• As another ancillary objective,  the proposal aims at attracti ng scientific analysis to the 
stock and increase over time the data base and stock assessment quality. 
Scientific and Stakeholder Committees have been  consulted. In fact, the proposal mirrors an 
initiative taken by the stakeh olders organised in the Pela gic Species Regional Advisory 
Council (PelRAC). 
The proposal is supported by DG MARE as an additional element in steering decision-making 
under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) towards a long-term framework that is compatible 
with international obligations and with the CFP objectives themselves. Indeed, this text 
represents the second case where a long-term management approach is proposed for stocks 
that are not outside safe biological limits, fo llowing the management plan for herring in the 
west of Scotland1. Furthermore, it stands out by appl ying a biological indi cator other than 
stock biomass and fishing mortality, and relies  on precedent work and an initiative undertaken 
within the sector. 
The operational elements and options are: 
• Option 1 : no policy change; continue fixing th e fishing possibilities as a yearly ad hoc  
exercise based on annual scientific advice and political  considerations; 
                                                 
1 OJ L 344 of 20.12.2008, p. 6; proposal: COM (2008)240 final dated 6.5.2008. 
 
EN 3   EN • Option 2 : freezing or gradually reducing fishing pressure in view of the insufficient 
knowledge about the biological  status of the stock; 
• Option 3 : management plan; sub-options relate to  the different biological indicators and 
management tools available. In particular, ma nagement by technical measures or effort 
regulation is considered, and management by output-constraints. Management by output-
constraints is being preferred, and here a harvest rule based on a share of the total 
spawning stock size is being discussed, as well as a harvest rule based on the trend in the 
egg abundance. The latter is re tained as the preferred su b-option. To this sub-option, 
possible complementary elements relating to ca tch stability, stock de cline and control are 
being presented. 
The service has undertaken a basic simulation of the mid-term economic effects, at the 
aggregated fleet level, on the profit margins of  the two options retained (option 1 and 3). It 
shows that the difference is marginal, and that  Option 3 might even have a slightly more 
beneficial effect in relative terms. The pres ented impact assessment compares the possible 
scenarios and comes to the conclusion that the most suitable is the one that consists of 
proposing a long-term management plan, which se ts TACs stable for 3 years according to a 
harvest control rule based on a precautionary advice for the harv est level adjusted by a trend 
that reflects the tri-annual results of egg surveys.