PURPOSE: to safeguard the full reproductive capacity of certain herring stocks in the Baltic Sea.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) 2018/976 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2016/1139 as regards fishing mortality ranges and safeguard levels for certain herring stocks in the Baltic Sea.

CONTENT: Regulation (EU) 2016/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishes a multi-annual plan for cod, herring and sprat stocks in the Baltic Sea. The purpose of the plan is to contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the common fisheries policy and, in particular, to ensure that the exploitation of living marine biological resources restores and maintains populations of harvested species above levels which can produce maximum sustainable yield (MSY).

The scientific evaluation of the Bothnian Sea herring stock and the Bothnian Bay herring stock conducted in 2017 by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) showed that those two stocks are similar. As a consequence, ICES combined the two stocks into one, changed the boundaries of its geographic distribution area and re-estimated the MSY fishing mortality ranges, as well as the relevant conservation reference points.

This led to different stock definition and numerical values than the ones established in Regulation (EU) 2016/1139.

Accordingly, this Regulation introduces a technical amendment to Regulation (EU) 2016/1139 to ensure that fishing opportunities for herring stocks in the Bothnian Bay are fixed in accordance with updated conservation reference levels following the scientific assessment carried out by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 17.7.2018.

The European Parliament adopted by 534 votes to 41, with 28 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2016/1139 as regards fishing mortality ranges and safeguard levels for certain herring stocks in the Baltic Sea.

The European Parliament adopted its position at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure, taking over the Commission proposal .

The proposal aims to amend Regulation (EU) 2016/1139 to ensure that fishing opportunities for Gulf of Bothnia herring stocks are determined in accordance with the updated conservation reference points following the scientific evaluation carried out by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).

The Committee on Fisheries adopted the report by Alain CADEC (EPP, FR) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2016/1139 as regards fishing mortality ranges and safeguard levels for certain herring stocks in the Baltic Sea.

The committee recommended that the European Parliament adopt its position at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure, taking over the Commission proposal.

As a reminder, the Commission proposal concerns a technical amendment to the management plan for the Baltic Sea, more specifically for herring in the Gulf of Bothnia.

It aims to amend Regulation (EU) 2016/1139 to ensure that fishing opportunities for Gulf of Bothnia herring stocks are determined in accordance with the updated conservation reference points following the scientific evaluation carried out by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).

PURPOSE: to safeguard the full reproductive capacity of certain herring stocks in the Baltic Sea.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: following the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), Regulation (EU) 2016/1139 established a multiannual plan for cod, herring and sprat stocks in the Baltic Sea. The objective of the plan is to ensure that the exploitation of the stocks concerned restores and maintains populations of these stocks above the levels that achieve maximum sustainable yield (MSY).

The scientific evaluation of the Bothnian Sea herring stock and the Bothnian Bay herring stock conducted in 2017 by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) showed that those two stocks are similar . As a consequence, ICES combined the two stocks into one, changed the boundaries of its geographic distribution area and re-estimated the MSY fishing mortality ranges, as well as the relevant conservation reference points.

Regulation (EU) No 2016/1139 provides that where, on the basis of scientific advice, the Commission considers that the conservation reference points set out in Annex II to that Regulation no longer correctly express the objectives of the plan, those points, as a matter of urgency, may be submitted for the revision to the European Parliament and the Council.

CONTENT: the Commission proposes to urgently amend Regulation (EU) 2016/1139 to ensure that the fishing opportunities for Gulf of Bothnia herring stocks are determined in accordance with the updated conservation reference points following the scientific evaluation carried out by ICES.