Marine

Outcome of the 2021 annual meeting of the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission

November 18, 2021 by Marine Scotland Communications No Comments | Category Fisheries, Marine Directorate general, Marine News from other Organisations

The annual meeting of the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) took place 9-12 November, with parties agreeing a number of proposals which aim to ensure the conservation and optimum utilisation of fishery resources in the NEAFC Regulatory Area.

The annual meeting was advised and informed by a number of Permanent Committees, which include Monitoring and Compliance (PECMAC) and Management and Science (PECMAS).

Key outcomes of the annual meeting included a rollover of the existing closure of the Rockall haddock box, a measure which protects juvenile haddock in the area. This closure has been in place for a number of years, and the UK worked together with the EU to propose a rollover of the measure into 2022, which was agreed by consensus.

Measures were also adopted for mackerel, blue whiting and Atlanto-Scandian herring (ASH) in the NEAFC Regulatory Area (international waters) in 2022, mirroring the outcomes of the Coastal States consultations which took place last month and allowing Contracting Parties to fish in the NEAFC regulatory area. A zero catch limit for Irminger Sea redfish in 2022 was also adopted, in line with advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).

Parties also agreed to adopt a number of control and enforcement measures in the Regulatory Area, as recommended by the control sub-group (PECMAC), and Cooperating Non-Contracting Party (CNCP) status was renewed for 2022 for Canada, the Bahamas, and Panama. Other measures adopted included an update to the list of fish stocks for which NEAFC requests and pays for advice from ICES.

Measures currently in place at NEAFC can be viewed on the NEAFC website. The Contracting Parties to NEAFC are: the United Kingdom; Denmark (in respect of the Faroe Islands and Greenland); European Union; Iceland; Norway; Russian Federation.

Further information:

NEAFC press release

Tags: Coastal States consultations, fish stocks, fisheries, fisheries conservation, fisheries negotiations, ICES, International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, international fisheries, juvenile haddock, NEAFC Regulatory Area, north east atlantic, North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission, pelagic, Rockall Haddock, sea fisheries

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