Subject: Cuts to fishing quotas in the western Mediterranean
The Commission has published its proposal on fishing quotas, entailing a further cut in fishing days in the Mediterranean Sea, Specifically, fishing days are to be reduced from 133 by between 20 and 28 days per boat in 2025. This proposal, which the Catalan fishing sector cannot possibly accept, will be debated in the Council on 9 and 10 December.
The Catalan fishing sector has actively cooperated by reducing working hours and days, marking out protected fishing zones and limiting fishing techniques and types of fishing gear. These changes have represented a great deal of effort on the part of Catalan fishers, thus demonstrating their commitment to socially and environmentally sustainable fishing. This approach has represented a major transformation for many localities in the western Mediterranean where fishing is the lifeblood of their local economy and society. In light of these circumstances, can the Commission say:
1. What analysis of the social and economic impact has the Commission conducted, and on what studies and data has it justified its proposal for such a harmful reduction for the Catalan fishing sector?
2. Which representatives of fishers operating in the western Mediterranean have been consulted?
3. Does it intend to involve representatives of the sector in the negotiations on the adaptation of the multiannual fisheries plan for the western Mediterranean?
Submitted: 4.12.2024
Answer given by Mr Kadis on behalf of the European Commission
(20 January 2025)
The Commission proposal for the 2025 fishing opportunities under the Western Mediterranean management plan (1) (MAP) was based on the best available scientific advice provided by the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (2).
This advice also contains socioeconomic analyses and concludes that ambitious management measures will rapidly pay off with more healthy stocks and increased sector profitability.
These analyses also show that the improvement of the state of the stocks will benefit the economic activities of local communities, including auctions which are an important part of the local economy.
The Commission has worked with all stakeholders to implement gradually the MAP since its adoption by the co-legislators in 2019. In 2024, the Commission had extensive discussions with stakeholders, including notably Member States and the Mediterranean Advisory Council.
The MAP’s aim is to secure a sustainable and profitable future for the sector relying on healthy and thriving fish stocks. While the fishing opportunities regulations have gradually reduced the trawling effort since 2020, numerous flexibilities alleviated the total reduction.
For 2025, the Commission proposed a fishing effort reduction for trawlers in line with the scientific advice and designed a compensation mechanism to support vessels committing to more sustainable practices.
The Council decided to keep the reduction proposed by the Commission, while expanding the compensation mechanism that, if applied, will provide considerable extra fishing days.
The Commission will continue working with the Member States concerned and the sector for the implementation of the MAP and of the compensation mechanism, for which European funding is available.
1 ∙ ⸱ Regulation (EU) 2019/1022 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 establishing a multiannual plan for the fisheries exploiting
demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean Sea and amending Regulation (EU) No 508/2014. OJ L 172, 26.6.2019, p. 1-17. 2 ∙ ⸱ STECF Expert Working Group EWG 24-10 (https://stecf.jrc.ec.europa.eu/documents/d/stecf/tors_ewg_24-10) and STECF Expert Working Group EWG 24-12 (https://stecf.jrc.ec.europa.eu/documents/d/stecf/ewg_24-12_tor_westmed_fisheries-management).