Plan for linear reduction of TACs comes under fire

摘要

The member states flatly rejected the European Commission's plan to reduce fishing opportunities for 2012 by 25% in the absence of scientific advice or in case of insufficient advice. Meeting in Luxembourg, on 28 June, the EU's fisheries ministers held a lengthy discussion on the communication on fishing opportunities1 in which the Commission presented, on 25 May, the state of fish stocks and the method it intends to use to set total allowable catches (TACs) for 2012. Although the Council endorsed the overall approach, described as "very interesting" ahead of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), the ministers nevertheless expressed many misgivings.