COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Consultation on the fishing opportunities for 2017 under the Common Fisheries Policy
Date: 2016-06-15
Institutions: Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission
Subjects: Atlantic Ocean, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, catch quota, common fisheries policy, conservation of fish stocks, fishing fleet, fishing net, fishing rights, sea fishing

EN 

   EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 15.6.2016  SWD(2016) 199 final   COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Consultation on the fishing opportunities for 2017 under the Common Fisheries Policy  {COM(2016) 396 final}  
 
 
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT  

Accompanying the document  

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL  

Consultation on the fishing opportunities for 2017 under the Common Fisheries Policy 

Part 1 

Report on the progress on achieving maximum sustainable yield and on the situation of 
fish stocks 

This part provides a detailed explanation of the methodology used to assess the situation of 
fish stocks, and its outcomes. 

Assessment of the state of  stocks in the North-East Atlantic and adjacent waters 

The stock sample assessed by the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee on Fisheries 
(STECF) under the methodology developed since 2013 is larger than the sample used for the 
time series 2007-2014 in earlier Communications1. It includes stocks with estimates of both 
the  fishing  mortality  corresponding  to  maximum  sustainable  yield  (FMSY)  and  estimates  of 
current fishing mortality (F). This results in a sample of 59 stocks in 2014. 

Changes  in  the  coverage  of  the  analysis  since  the  previous  edition  of  this  report  are 
documented  in  detail  in  the  51st  Plenary  Meeting  Report  of  the  STECF2.  The  coverage  is 
based  on  stocks  which  are  managed  under  TACs  in  EU  and  contiguous  waters,  excluding 
stocks shared with third countries outside EU waters. The STECF is developing the method to 
cover those stocks in the future. For stocks assessed biennially, stocks are assumed to be in 
'known' state in years between assessments. 

Stock assessments are under constant review. Changes in the stocks list in the analysis arise 
because  some  assessments  (used  up  to  last  year)  were  rejected  (poor  quality),  while  other 
stock assessments were improved and are now considered acceptable. Some stocks (e.g. deep-
sea  stocks  and  some  Nephrops  stocks)  are  assessed  every  other  year.  Stock  units  are 
sometimes  updated  and  may  be  merged  or  subdivided  according  to  improved  biological 
information. The 51st Plenary Meeting Report documents these changes. 

Indicators of performance with respect to maximum sustainable yield. 

The numbers of stocks fished sustainably and overfished compared to FMSY or otherwise by 
year are given in Figure 1, with the relative proportion in Figure 2. Figure 1 lists the number 
of stocks for which fishing mortality has been calculated compared to FMSY under the STECF 

1 Reports of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) – Monitoring the performance of the 
Common Fisheries Policy (STECF-16-05) – CORRIGENDUM to STECF-16-03. 2016. Publications Office of the European 
Union, Luxembourg, EUR 27758 EN, JRC 100945, 60 pp. 
2  Reports  of  the  Scientific,  Technical  and  Economic  Committee  for  Fisheries  (STECF)  –  51st  Plenary  Meeting  Report 
(PLEN-16-01). 2016. Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, EUR 27758 EN, JRC 101442, 89 pp. 

2 

 
 
                                                 
analysis.  This  total  shows  a  slight  increase  since  2003,  indicating  an  improvement  in  the 
knowledge about the stocks. 

s
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Overfished 

Fished sustainably 

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Year  

Figure  1.  Numbers  of  assessed  stocks  in  the  Northeast  Atlantic,  North  Sea  and  Baltic  Sea  in  EU  waters  and 
contiguous shared stocks, showing numbers of stocks fished sustainably (current fishing mortality is at or below 
FMSY) or overfished (current fishing mortality is above FMSY) 

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

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2009

2011

2013

Year 

Figure 2. Proportion of stocks in the Northeast Atlantic, North Sea and Baltic Sea in EU waters and contiguous 
shared stocks assessed as fished sustainably (current fishing mortality is lower than or equal to  FMSY). Source: 
Tables 3 and 4 of STECF-16-05. 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The STECF has also assessed the average extent of overfishing. Figure 3 shows the trend in 
the value of fishing mortality compared to the FMSY values across all assessed stocks, and the 
distribution of these values. 

2,5

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1,5

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Overfished 

Not  
Overfished 

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2009
Year 

2011

2013

Figure  3.  Average  fishing  mortality  compared  to  FMSY  values  (=1  for  F=  FMSY)  for  stocks  in  the  northeast 
Atlantic,  including  the  Celtic  Seas,  North  Sea  and  Baltic  Sea.  Based  on  Figure  13  of  STECF-16-05  report  as 
updated  by  the  51st  Plenary  Meeting  Report.  The  broad  line  represents  the  average  (median  of  model  fit),  the 
dashed line shows the range of uncertainty in the estimate (95% confidence interval).  

Performance with respect to safe biological limits  

Figure 4 shows changes in relation to safe biological limits. As changes in fishing mortality 
may take several years to show results in fish stocks biomass, improvements with respect to 
safe biological limits from reduced fishing mortality may only appear later. 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Outside SBL 

Inside SBL 

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Year  

Figure  4.  Numbers  of  assessed  stocks  in  the  Northeast  Atlantic,  North  Sea  and  Baltic  Sea  in  EU  waters  and 
contiguous shared stocks, showing numbers of stocks inside and outside safe biological limits (SBL). A stock is 
within  SBL  when  the  fishing  mortality  is  lower  than  the  precautionary  fishing  mortality  (Fpa)  (where  this  is 
defined) and the stock size is higher than the biomass reference value (where this is defined). A stock is outside 
SBL  when  the  fishing  mortality  is  higher  than  Fpa  (where  this  is  defined)  or  the  stock  size  is  lower  than  the 
biomass reference value (where this is defined).  

Assessment of the state of  stocks in the Mediterranean Sea 

Changes  in  the  coverage  of  the  analysis  for  stocks  in  the  Mediterranean  are  documented  in 
detail  in  the  STECF  51st  Plenary  Meeting  Report.  The  STECF  assessment  is  based  on  15 
assessed  stocks,  as  opposed  to  previous  years'  assessments  which  were  based  on  44  stocks 
assessed.  This year's coverage counts stocks as being in 'known state' up to three years after 
the latest assessment. The numbers of stocks assessed increased up to 2012, but decreased in 
2013  when  a  decision  was  taken  to  improve  the  quality  of  assessments  at  the  expense  of 
assessing fewer stocks each year. Due to several reasons, including the inability of one of the 
Member  States  concerned  to  provide  the  necessary  data,  we  are  facing  a  reduction  in  the 
coverage of assessments. 

The  stocks  fished  principally  by  the  EU  are  mainly  located  in  the  north-western 
Mediterranean  (i.e.  northern  Spain,  Balearic  Islands,  Gulf  of  Lion,  Corsica  and  Sardinia, 
Ligurian  and  Tyrrhenian  Seas)  and  in  the  Central  Mediterranean  (i.e.  northern  Adriatic). 
Stocks  shared  with  third  countries  are  mainly  located  in  the  western  (i.e.  Alboran  Sea  and 
Algerian coast), central (i.e. Strait of Sicily, Malta Island, southern Adriatic, and Ionian Sea) 
and eastern Mediterranean Sea (i.e. Aegean Sea, Crete and Cyprus Islands, and the Levantine 
Sea), and in the Black Sea.     

5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 5. Availability of stock assessment information for the Mediterranean Sea, by year3.   

Developing a consistent indicator of the state of fish stocks in the Mediterranean is technically 
complex, however from the available analysis it is apparent that the great majority of stocks is 
overfished, with overfishing at a very high level for some stocks. STECF work at this stage 
concentrates  on  the  stocks  and  areas  fished  mostly  by  the  EU4,  with  further  results  on 
including the remaining areas being expected during 2016. 

Preliminary results are shown in Figure 6. The overall level of overfishing is broadly between 
2 and 3 times FMSY. 

3  Reports  of  the  Scientific,  Technical  and  Economic  Committee  for  Fisheries  (STECF)  –  51st  Plenary  Meeting  Report 
(PLEN-16-01). 2016. Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, EUR 27758 EN, JRC 101442, 89 pp. 
4 (Geographical Sub-Areas 1,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,15,16,17,18,19,20,22,23,25) 

6 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
5

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Overfished 

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2005

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2009
Year 

2011

2013

Figure 6. Average fishing mortality compared to MSY values (=1 for F=FMSY), for stocks in the Mediterranean 
Sea,  GSAs 1,5-11, 15-20, 22,  23  and 25.  Redrawn  from  Figure  15  of  the  STECF-16-05 report,  as  updated  by 
STECF 51st Plenary Meeting Report. The broad line shows the average (median of model fit), the dashed line 
shows the range of uncertainty in the estimate (95% confidence interval).  

Assessment of stocks in the Black Sea:  

The Black Sea has a very low biodiversity in terms of number of commercial species (20% if 
compared to the Mediterranean Sea). A main concern in the Black Sea is the small number of 
stocks  assessed  (see  Table  1  below),  which  is  partially  due  to  considerable  shortcomings  in 
control  measures  resulting  in  unreliable  catch/landing  data.  This  is  valid  both  for  Member 
States  and  for  third  countries  concerned.  The  geopolitical  complexity  of  the  area  (including 
two  geopolitical  conflicts  in  the  last  decade  and  a  significant  redefinition  of  jurisdiction) 
seems to influence negatively the solution to these problems. 

Pelagic  catches  are  basically  of  anchovy  and  sprat.  Demersal  catches  are  dominated  by 
Rapana whelk (an invasive species of gastropod that has colonized the environment 50 years 
ago and has modified the structure of the ecosystem) turbot, red mullet, bluefish and Atlantic 
bonito. Scientists from the two latter countries participate in the scientific working group on 
the Black Sea stocks. The European Union has set autonomous quotas for turbot and sprat. 

Table 1  

Black Sea 

Scientific advice for 2013 

demersal 

pelagic 

No of stocks assessed as overfished 
No of stocks assessed as sustainable 

4 
0 

2 
1 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TOTAL of known stocks5 

4 

3 

5 Source: GFCM-SAC 

8 

 
 
                                                 
Part 2 

Implementation of the landing obligation in 2015  

Introduction 

Based  on  the  obligation  to  report  on  the  implementation  of  the  landing  obligation  (in 
Regulation  1380/2013),  the  Commission  obtained  from  Member  States  and  Advisory 
Councils information on the following elements: 

  steps  taken  by  Member  States  and  producer  organisations  to  comply  with  the  landing 

obligation; 

  steps  taken  by  Member  States  regarding  control  of  compliance  with  the  landing 

 
 
 

 

 

obligation; 
information on the socioeconomic impact of the landing obligation; 
information on the effect of the landing obligation on safety on board fishing vessels; 
information on the use and outlets of catches below the minimum conservation reference 
size of a species subject to the landing obligation; 
information  on  port  infrastructures  and  of  vessels'  fitting  with  regard  to  the  landing 
obligation; 
for  each  fishery  concerned,  information  on  the  difficulties  encountered  in  the 
implementation of the landing obligation and recommendations to address them. 

Reports were received from all coastal Member States, four Advisory Councils (Pelagic AC, 
South-western AC, North Sea AC and Mediterranean AC), one regional Member States group 
(Scheveningen group) and one group of industry representatives (Europeche).The information 
in this part is based on the Member States and Advisory Councils contributions on their early 
experiences in the implementation of the landing obligation in 2015.    

Percentage of catches reported as discarded 

Accurate and illustrative data on the percentage of discards is scarce primarily related to the 
fact  that  the  revision  of  the  implementing  rules  on  logbook  declarations  detailing  and 
differentiating  discards  by  type  (below  minimum  conservation  reference  size,  prohibited 
species  or  other)  could  only  adopted  in  October  2015,  following  the  agreement  on  the 
Omnibus Regulation in May 2015. The transition to incorporate new requirements of logbook 
declarations  in  the  day-to-day  operations  of  the  industry  as  well  as  the  changes  required  by 
control  authorities  take  time.  In  the  meantime,  the  Commission  and  administrations  are 
relying  on  estimates  of  catches  reported  as  discarded,  provided  through  data  on  effort 
management and the Data Collection Framework. Figure 7 shows the estimated percentage of 
catches  discarded  by  management  area,  in  2014.  Each  area  contains  data  collected  from 
various  ICES  areas  grouped  for  the  purpose  of  monitoring  under  the  various  management 
plans. 

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45

40

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0

Baltic

Bay of Biscay

Celtic Sea

Cod recovery
Zone

Southern hake
and nephrop

Sole Western
Channel

Figure  7:  Estimated  percentage  of  catches  reported  as  discarded  in  2014  by  management  effort  management  areas  under 
recovery plans6 

The issue of choke species and quota swaps 

One  of  the  main  challenges  in  the  implementation  of  the  landing  obligation  is  the  issue  of 
choke species. Among others, potential choke species problems can be mitigated by a national 
redistribution of quotas or by quota swaps both within and between Member States, especially 
if  the  overall  availability  of  TAC  for  a  stock  is  sufficient.  Although  quota  swaps  are  a 
frequently used tool in the practice of fisheries management, stakeholders are suggesting that 
the  tool  is  being  used  ineffectively  as  Member  States  seem  to  retain  quotas  rather  than 
increase swapping under the newly introduced landing obligation.   

Member States are actively working together with the sector and scientists on a tool box that 
would provide guidance to national administrations and producer organisations.  

Innovative projects to improve selectivity in fishing 

This section outlines examples of how Member States, industry and other stakeholders have 
developed innovative ways of improving selectivity in different fisheries. These projects have 
been financed by the European Fisheries Fund 2007-2013 (EFF) and or by industry and other 
national  funding  sources.  Currently  the  EFF  is  being  evaluated,  including  the  uptake  of 
funding for selectivity projects.   

Discard reduction in the Bay of Biscay and Iberian waters (France) 
The  EU  funded  project  'Discard  reduction  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay  and  Iberian  waters'  aims  at 
understanding  discarding  practices  and  at  identifying  measures  to  reduce  discards  in  mixed 

6 https://datacollection.jrc.ec.europa.eu/dd/effort/dqi 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
demersal fisheries in the Bay of Biscay and Iberian waters. The results of this science-industry 
partnership project are expected shortly.  
Another  project  to  improve  selectivity  in  the  trawl  fishery  for  hake  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay  is 
ongoing  (since  2015).  This  project  aims  at  testing  selectivity  improvements  on  trawls 
targeting hake, by placing a selective square mesh panel in the upper part of the gear. It counts 
with the participation of the fishing industry and all trials are carried out on board commercial 
fishing vessels. 

Technical adaptation to trawl nets to reduce discards of Sole (Belgium)  
Belgium has introduced an increase in the mesh size in the tail of the net (of 120 mm up from 
80 mm, from the cod end attachment up to 3 meters to the front). The mesh sizes of the cod 
end remain constant at 80mm at least. This has contributed to better escaping possibilities of 
small  sole.  The  catch  comparison  experiment  conducted  by  the  Belgian  Institute  for 
Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO) and validated by STECF  has demonstrated that 
the capture of sole, particularly undersized sole, was reduced significantly. The introduction 
of  a  large  mesh  trawl  reduced  total  sole  catch  by  19,7%,  and  reduced  undersized  sole  (<24 
cm)  by  40,3%  (including  a  reduction  with  16%  of  marketable  sole).  The  measure  was 
introduced  from  1  April  2015  for  areas  VIIa,  VIId  and  VIIfg,  and  applies  since  1  January 
2016 for the North Sea and entire Western Waters. 

Project CELSELEC on selectivity in the Celtic Sea (France) 
Fishermen  and  scientists  have  worked  for  a  number  of  years  to  enhance  selectivity  of  the 
fishing  gears  and  "sort  fish  in  the  sea  rather  than  on  the  deck".  The  producer  organisation 
'Pêcheurs de Bretagne' has launched a programme to enhance the selectivity of trawlers in the 
Celtic  Sea  in  2013,  and  a  similar  project  was  undertaken  by  the  nephrops  fishermen  in  the 
Bay  of  Biscay.  They  applied  an  innovative  net  which  substantially  reduces  the  catch  of 
undersized  hake  in  their  nephrops  fishery.  This  has  made  the  fishery  generally  much  more 
selective. 

Selectivity improvements in different Fisheries (UK) 
The UK have been developing a number of potential technical solutions to address anticipated 
discarding issues (i.e. haddock in the Celtic Sea, whitefish and unwanted catches in the Irish 
Sea,  West  of  Scotland  and  North  Sea).  The  aim  is  to  provide  a  tool  box  of  assessed  gear 
configurations  which  can  be  used  as  part  of  a  results-based  management  system.  This  has 
included testing a number of innovative gears (SELTRA trawl, NETGRID,) and developing 
existing gears further (i.e the eliminator trawl and the 'Orkney Trawl' or 600mm belly panel).   

Selectivity of the rhomboid and square mesh cod-end in trawl fisheries (UK) 
The project evaluated the selectivity in the rhomboid and in the square mesh of the cod end of 
a bottom trawl in specialised trawler fisheries, as well as the biological and economic effects 
of the use of each mesh type, including comparative advantages. To study the behaviour and 
state of fish stocks  during the transit through the trawl the project uses underwater cameras 
inside and between the cod end and the sheet.  

In Scotland the Gear Innovation and Technology Advisory Group, a industry-based platform 
set up with the Scottish Fishermen's Federation and funded via Marine Scotland in support of 
skipper-designed innovative gears, is currently appraising 4 projects for 2016 including two in 
the West of Scotland looking at reducing whitefish catch in nephrops gear. 

Technical improvement of the trawl to reduce energy consumption (UK) 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This project developed and tested a special design and computer modelling of trawl nets that 
takes into account the technical characteristics of the vessel and the deep-sea fishing grounds 
where they operate. The following parameters were tested: optimum speed tow, tensions and 
power losses and fuel consumption per time unit. The trawl concerned is easy to install and 
will allow for non-targeted fish to escape.   

CCTV project (Denmark and The Netherlands) 
Starting  its  first  pilot  in  2008,  Denmark  was  the  first  country  in  Europe  to  test  the 
effectiveness  CCTV  to  monitor  catches.  This  pilot  has  demonstrated  improved  reporting  of 
discards in logbooks. This study was complemented by subsequent studies in the Netherlands 
whereby an on-board CCTV system which records all fishing activity including the discarding 
of  undersized  catches  (cod  in  particular)  confirmed  that  CCTV  can  replace  expensive 
monitoring  and  control  programmes.  When  combined  with  catch  quotas  this  may  have  a 
positive effect in changing fishing patterns. In return for participation in the project fishermen 
benefit from additional quota.  

Modification of existing fishing gear to improve selectivity (Sweden) 
In conjunction with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, vessels in Sweden have 
modified and adapted exiting fishing gear to improve selectivity (target size) for cod and to 
minimise  unwanted  catches.  The  results  of  the  most  selective  adaptions  are  being 
disseminated online to stakeholders whilst the second phase of the project is being rolled out 
to vessels in the Baltic Sea. 

Adding value to discards from fisheries in the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean (Spain) 
This project (which is not on selectivity innovation or improvements) studied how to manage 
and make the best use of formerly discarded fish in the Atlantic and Mediterranean fisheries 
within  the  conditions  set  out  in  the  legislation.  The  aim  of  the  project  was  to  improve 
knowledge  on  the  nature  and  origin  of  discards  both  on-board  vessels  and  on  land,  and  to 
propose  solutions  for  storage  and  preservation  of  unwanted  catches  including  possible 
adaptation of the fishing vessels. The economic value of the different components of formerly 
discarded species were analysed under lab conditions. 

External waters dimension of the landing obligation 
The landing obligation applies to Union vessels regardless of the location of their activities. 
All fisheries including in non-EU waters will be subjected to this rule as of January 2019 at 
the  latest,  unless  internationally  agreed  rules  deviate  from  this  obligation.  To  ensure 
compliance  of  EU  vessels  with  the  rules  from  2015  on,  the  Commission  has  carried  out  a 
thorough analysis of Regional Fisheries Management Organisations' rules, and in November 
2014 has adopted a delegated act (as amended in 2016) to ensure that for the relevant RFMOs 
(mainly ICCAT) the international rules prevail over the landing obligations that entered into 
force on January 2015. The Commission strives to promote a level playing field for the EU 
fleet by promoting the objectives of the CFP in various international forums with the aim to 
encourage the reduction and elimination of discards at the international level.  

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Part 3 

Economic performance of EU fleets and MSY 

The economic performance of the EU fleets was positive and significantly improved over the 
period 2008-2014. The main economic indicators for the EU fleet increased, registering high 
profits in 2014 (based on preliminary data) with around €700 million in net profits and 10% in 
net profit margin (figures 8 and 9). This means significant progress taking into account that 
the  EU  fleet  moved  from  a  loss  making  position  in  2008  to  a  position  where  its  net  profits 
have doubled in recent years7.  In parallel, fuel consumption and fuel use intensity decreased 
significantly in recent years, as a result mainly of efficiency gains in the way many EU fleets 
operate.  

This  general  economic  improvement  coincides  with  the  efforts  of  Member  States  to  match 
fishing capacity to the available fishing opportunities, but also with relatively low fuel prices 
and with the overall reduction of fishing mortality and the increased numbers of fish stocks 
fished at MSY. Profit projections are positive for many of the large-scale EU fleets (forecasts 
for 2016, provided that fuel prices continue at low or moderate levels). However, this overall 
positive trend does not apply to all EU fleets, with a significant number of segments, notably 
in the small scale coastal fisheries struggling to achieve a solid economic performance. 

Figures 8 and 9: Trends in main economic indicators of the EU fleet. Source: data submitted by MS under the 
Data Collection Framework, 2014 is preliminary data. 

Experiences with moving to MSY fishing 

Fishing at levels that correspond to MSY creates the prospect of stock recovery to levels that 
have the potential to deliver high yields. A forthcoming study8 estimates that if all Northeast 
Atlantic fish stocks were exploited at MSY an additional €4.6 billion per year in profits could 
potentially  be  generated  compared  to  current  exploitation  rates.  If  MSY  were  achieved  in 
2016 for the EU North  Atlantic fleet,  the profit’s net present  value on a 20 year timeline is 
estimated to be more than 30% higher than postponing MSY until 2020. Waiting until 2020 
would consequently result in a significant decrease in this potential economic gain. 

7 While net profits were €330 million in 2010, they went up to €700 million in 2014. 
8 "Sustainability now or later? Estimating the benefits of pathways to Maximum Sustainable Yield for EU Northeast Atlantic 
Fisheries",  Jordi  Guillen,  Angel  Calvo  Santos,  Griffin  Carpenter,  Natacha  Carvalho,  John  Casey,  Jordi  Lleonart,  Francesc 
Maynou, Gorka Merino, Anton Paulrud, submitted to Marine Policy for review. 

13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
There  are  notable  examples  of  EU  fisheries  showing  increased  economic  returns  from 
sustainable  fishing.  For  the  North  Sea  sole  and  plaice  fishery  the  economic  performance  of 
plaice-dependent fleets improved significantly under the implementation of the management 
plan that brought the fishery to an MSY situation. Landings and value per unit of effort have 
increased since the stock has been exploited at FMSY for all segments, and particularly for the 
British and Dutch demersal trawlers (figures 9 a & b, 10 a & b). For the Northeast Atlantic 
mackerel fisheries there has been a positive trend in most of the segments targeting mackerel 
between  2008  and  2013  (figures  11  a  &  b),  but  the  biological  situation  has  deteriorated  in 
recent years, thus highlighting that benefits achieved in the past by moving towards MSY can 
be lost due to  external factors such as  absence of an agreed overall total allowable catch as 
well.  A  positive  economic  trend  is  also  observed  in  some  fleets  involved  in  the  haddock 
fisheries.  

Anecdotal  evidence  suggests  that  improved  stability  in  fisheries  exploited  sustainably  may 
have  improved  the  investment  opportunities  in  the  fleets,  contributing  to  the  social  and 
economic sustainability. 

Figures 9a & 9b9: Economic performance of the Dutch demersal trawlers with length between 18 and 24 meter 
in the North Sea plaice fishery. Source: data submitted by MS under the Data Collection Framework. 

9 For graphs 9a, 10a and 11a, the values on the left side of the graph relate to the number of total fishing days, whereas the 
values on the right side of the graph relate to the monetary value for GVA and Revenues (times thousand). For graphs 9b, 
10b and 11b, the values on the left side of the graph relate to the tonnes of fish landed per unit of effort, and the values on the 
right side of the graph relate to the monetary value per unit of effort.  

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Figures  10a  &  10b:  Economic  performance  of  the  British  demersal  trawlers  with  length  over  40  meter  in  the 
North Sea plaice fishery. Source: data submitted by MS under the Data Collection Framework. 

Figures  11a  &  11b:  Economic  performance  of  the  Irish  pelagic  trawlers  with  length  over  40  meter  in  the 
mackerel fishery. Source: data submitted by MS under the Data Collection Framework. 

Experiences with moving to MSY fishing in the Mediterranean Sea 

The potential  gains from sustainable fishing identified in the North Sea  and Atlantic can be 
also be identified in other EU waters, notably for the Mediterranean fisheries where stocks are 
particularly  depleted  and  where  fishing  mortality  must  be  significantly  reduced  to  achieve 
MSY. There are examples of Mediterranean fisheries where stocks are being exploited at rates 
consistent  with  achieving  MSY,  and  fleets  are  showing  positive  trends,  particularly  in 
landings.  

Given the highly mixed nature of Mediterranean fisheries the effects of stock recovery are not 
immediately  visible  in  terms  of  profitability  and  employment  for  a  variety  of  reasons 
including  market  conditions  and  price  fluctuations.  For  example,  in  the  demersal  trawlers 
fishery (length between 12 and 18 meters) targeting deep sea  pink shrimp and red mullet in 
the Southern and Central Tyrrhenian Sea (GSA 10), data show a positive trend in the volume 
of  landings  (figures  12  a  &  b)  going  hand  in  hand  with  the  reduction  in  fishing  mortality, 
particularly for red mullet. This is an important fleet segment in terms of size, accounting for 
60%  (139  vessels)  of  the  trawling  fleet  in  the  area,  and  it  is  the  only  trawl  segment  with  a 
positive economic performance in this area. 

Another example is the small-scale coastal fishery in the Southern Adriatic Sea (GSA 18). In 
this fishery, where red mullet (the important species in economic terms) is exploited at levels 
close  to  sustainability,  the  value  of  landings  per  unit  of  effort  shows  a  stable  trend  in  the 
period  2008-2012  followed  by  a  strong  increase  in  2013  (figure  13).  In  parallel,  net  profits 
have  increased  over  the  period  of  analysis  (albeit  with  a  reduction  of  the  number  of  jobs, 
figures 14 a & b). This fleet segment accounts for 46% of the total fleet in GSA 18 (area of 
stocks  shared  with  third  countries)  and  develops  a  multi-species  and  multi-gear  activity 
(figure 15). The most important species are common octopus, cuttlefish and red mullet which 
together account for an important share of the total value of landing of the segment. 

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Figures 12a & 12b: trends in landings weight and value in red mullet (MUT) and deep sea pink shrimp (DPS) targeted by  
demersal  trawlers  (Length  12-18  meters)  of  the  Southern  and  Central  Tyrrhenian  Sea  (GSA  10).  Source:  Italian  Data 
Collection Framework. 

Figure 13: trends in value of landing per unit of effort for the small scale coastal fishery in the Southern Adriatic 
Sea (GSA 18). Source: Italian Data Collection Framework. 

Figures 14a &  14b:  socio-economic  performance  indicators for  the  small scale  coastal  fishery in  the  Southern 
Adriatic Sea (GSA 18). Source: Italian Data Collection Framework. 

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Figure 15: fishing effort by main gears of the vessels classified in the segment of the small scale coastal fishery 
in the Southern Adriatic Sea (GSA 18). Source: DCF, 2014. 

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