Cover Briefing: Key recommendations on setting fishing opportunities

The document argues that current fishing opportunities are often set above scientific advice, perpetuating overfishing in the Baltic, Northeast Atlantic, and Mediterranean. It recommends setting Total Allowable Catches (TACs) well below the 'headline' scientific advice from ICES and STECF to account for ecosystem dynamics and climate change. The authors highlight shortcomings in current scientific advice, noting it lacks concrete recovery timeframes and ecological objectives. Key proposals include implementing a quantitative precautionary approach to TAC-setting, increasing transparency in negotiations, and fully enforcing the Landing Obligation.

• The authors recommend that fishing opportunities be set well below the maximum catch levels advised by the International Council of the Sea (ICES) and the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee on Fisheries (STECF) to build resilience against climate change and marine heatwaves.
• The document warns of 'phantom recoveries,' where stock assessment models overestimate the productivity and recovery trajectory of overfished species, citing Celtic Sea cod and Western Baltic cod as examples.
• To operationalise a precautionary approach, the briefing suggests setting TACs at a maximum of 80% of the ICES single-stock headline advice to account for uncertainty regarding ecosystem needs.

APA

ClientEarth (2025). Cover Briefing: Key recommendations on setting fishing opportunities. https://www.clientearth.org/media/ugtemqcb/joint-briefing-series-recommendations-on-fishing-opportunities-briefing-1-cover-briefing-key-recommendations-on-setting-fishing-opportunities-1.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. Cover Briefing: Key recommendations on setting fishing opportunities. 2025. https://www.clientearth.org/media/ugtemqcb/joint-briefing-series-recommendations-on-fishing-opportunities-briefing-1-cover-briefing-key-recommendations-on-setting-fishing-opportunities-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=ClientEarth |title=Cover Briefing: Key recommendations on setting fishing opportunities |date=July 2025 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/ugtemqcb/joint-briefing-series-recommendations-on-fishing-opportunities-briefing-1-cover-briefing-key-recommendations-on-setting-fishing-opportunities-1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{clientearth2025cover, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{Cover Briefing: Key recommendations on setting fishing opportunities}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, year = {2025}, month = jul, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/ugtemqcb/joint-briefing-series-recommendations-on-fishing-opportunities-briefing-1-cover-briefing-key-recommendations-on-setting-fishing-opportunities-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }