Stocks not managed by a Total Allowable Catch

The document argues that many fish populations not managed by a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) have been exploited unsustainably, despite legal requirements in the EU and UK to apply precautionary and ecosystem-based approaches to all harvested species. It calls for the introduction of effective management measures for all non-TAC stocks, the use of Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) to improve data, and the implementation of clear criteria for the prohibited species list. Specific urgent actions are recommended for the European eel, including adding it to the prohibited species list and stopping all targeted fishing, and for sea bass, including limiting catches below headline scientific advice to ensure recovery.

• Several fish stocks not managed by a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) have been exploited unsustainably, including sardine in the Cantabrian Sea and Iberian Atlantic waters, as well as European sea bass in the Celtic Sea, Bristol Channel, English Channel, Irish Sea, and North Sea.
• The authors recommend introducing effective management measures, such as recovery plans, for all non-TAC stocks to align with the UK Fisheries Act and the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). They specifically suggest that Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) should underpin this management to provide robust data on captures.
• There is a call to minimize the impact of TAC-managed fisheries on non-quota species. As an example, the document notes that dab in the North Sea are often caught in plaice and sole fisheries and discarded at a rate exceeding 90%.
• The briefing identifies a lack of transparent decision-making procedures for the prohibited species list and recommends establishing clear criteria for both the addition and removal of species.
• Regarding European sea bass, the document states that 2024 spawning stock biomass estimates were outside safe biological limits and that current ICES headline advice is not designed to recover the stock. It recommends limiting catches to well below this advice and dramatically reducing bycatch, which accounted for 65% of commercial bass landings in 2023.
• The European eel, listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, should be added to the prohibited species list. The authors advocate for a total stop to all targeted commercial and recreational fishing, following 2024 ICES advice of zero catch for all life stages and habitats.
• The document strongly advises the UK against resuming international trade in European eels, noting that while a non-detriment finding (NDF) assessment was produced in 2023 and exports to Russia were banned in March 2025, the species' conservation status and illegal trade make further trade inadvisable.

APA

ClientEarth (2025). Stocks not managed by a Total Allowable Catch. https://www.clientearth.org/media/fncjumuk/joint-briefing-series-recommendations-on-fishing-opportunities-briefing-10-stocks-not-managed-by-a-total-allowable-catch-1.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. Stocks not managed by a Total Allowable Catch. 2025. https://www.clientearth.org/media/fncjumuk/joint-briefing-series-recommendations-on-fishing-opportunities-briefing-10-stocks-not-managed-by-a-total-allowable-catch-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=ClientEarth |title=Stocks not managed by a Total Allowable Catch |date=July 2025 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/fncjumuk/joint-briefing-series-recommendations-on-fishing-opportunities-briefing-10-stocks-not-managed-by-a-total-allowable-catch-1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{clientearth2025stocks, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{Stocks not managed by a Total Allowable Catch}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, year = {2025}, month = jul, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/fncjumuk/joint-briefing-series-recommendations-on-fishing-opportunities-briefing-10-stocks-not-managed-by-a-total-allowable-catch-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }