23 November 2012
EC Proposes Initial 2013 Fish Catch Quotas
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The European Commission proposed initial catch quotas for 2013 pending the outcome of international negotiations with Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) and non-European Union countries.

The EC pledged to obtain the best possible outcome for its fishermen while still respecting scientific advice and urged the international community to show its commitment to sustainable fisheries.

19 November 2012: The European Commission (EC) presented its initial proposal on 2013 catch quotas for commercially important fish species, under arrangements for managing fish stocks jointly with other countries or Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs).

In a press release, the EC noted international negotiations for many stocks remain ongoing and that the proposed quotas will be updated after negotiations are completed. The proposal will be discussed at a Fisheries Council meeting in Brussels, Belgium in December 2012.

The EC negotiates annually with RFMOs and non-EU countries including Norway, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland and the Russian Federation to reach agreement on quantities of commercially important species that may be caught the following year. The setting of catch limits is based on scientific advice and a system of “relative stability” that keeps national quotas stable in relation to each other.

The EC pledged to obtain the best outcome for its fishermen while still respecting scientific advice. The EC also urged the international community to show its commitment to sustainable fisheries. [EC press release] [EU fishing rules page]

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