This was a supporting detail page of the main policy document.
To avoid overfishing, Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and stock recovery measures (such as limiting the amount of fish commercial fishermen can catch in certain areas) are agreed by EU Member States under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). This practice will continue under the reformed CFP. Total Allowable Catches (TACs) TACs limit the amount of fish which commercial fishermen can land in ports. They are agreed every December in the EU Fisheries Council. Advice by fisheries scientists in the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) is used to help set TACs. They advise on appropriate catch levels to keep stocks sustainable. Fisheries agreements are used when stocks are jointly managed by the EU and third countries. These detail how the stock will be shared. Agreements are in place with Norway, Iceland, the Faroes and Greenland. The fishing opportunities for 2015 were agreed at December Council 2014. The EU regulation sets out 2015 fishing opportunities. The Marine Management Organisation publishes UK Fisheries Statistics. Stock recovery We sometimes need to take extra measures to help certain fish stocks recover and stabilise their populations. This could be because of previous overfishing, high natural mortality (ie low numbers of fish surviving to a size where they are taken commercially) or environmental factors. There has been a more positive trend in some stocks in recent years. Problems with some EU cod stocks continue and there are measures in place through the Cod Recovery Plan to halt and ultimately reverse this decline. These measures apply in the Irish Sea, North Sea (where the cod stock is improving), Eastern Channel and the West of Scotland. Scientific evaluation of the performance of the Cod Plan has shown a number of problems with its design and how it has worked. We expect a new Cod Plan to be developed. Until then, the current plan has been amended allowing new rules to apply for the fixing of catch levels for 2013, and how many days at sea fishermen are allowed. The EU also has recovery plans for:
northern hake
Western Channel sole
North Sea plaice and sole
West of Scotland herring
General fisheries technical conservation rules Fishing stocks are also protected by technical measures. Technical measures can be applied to decide where, when and how fishing can happen. This can include having restricted fishing areas and rules on what fishing gear boats can use. An update of the regulations (Council Regulation 850/98 and related legislation) was proposed by the European Commission in 2014. If agreed, the new regulations will apply from 2016. Until then, the existing regulations will be amended. This will keep them compatible with landing obligations according to the timetable agreed under CFP reform.