Clarification on further steps regarding North Western Waters bycatch reduction plans

The document expresses concern over the lack of action by the North Western Waters regional group in developing ambitious bycatch reduction plans for Irish Sea whiting, West of Scotland whiting and cod, Celtic Sea cod, and plaice in area 7h-k. The signatories argue that current draft plans are vague and rely on existing measures, failing to address the 'dire state' of stocks for which ICES issued zero catch advice for 2019. They request the Commission to monitor the process, ensure STECF review via a dedicated Expert Working Group, and confirm that bycatch TACs will be decreased or withdrawn if plans are insufficient.

• Five specific fish stocks—Irish Sea whiting, West of Scotland whiting and cod, Celtic Sea cod, and plaice in area 7h-k—are described as being in a 'dire state', with the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) issuing a zero catch advice for 2019.
• Bycatch Total Allowable Catches (TACs) for these stocks were granted on the condition that multiannual bycatch reduction plans be developed urgently to reduce unwanted catches, yet the North Western Waters regional group missed the submission deadline of 30th April 2019.
• Draft versions of the bycatch reduction plans received in April and May 2019 are criticized for primarily referencing existing measures or containing vague additions that do not take effect until 2020, leading to concerns that bycatch TACs currently exceed scientifically advised levels.
• The NGOs request that the Commission ensure the plans are reviewed by a dedicated STECF Expert Working Group (EWG) rather than just a Plenary meeting to allow for the necessary level of detail and scrutiny.

APA

ClientEarth (2019). Clarification on further steps regarding North Western Waters bycatch reduction plans. https://www.clientearth.org/media/4cclgcno/joint-ngo-letter-to-the-commission-on-bycatch-reduction-plans-coll-en.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. Clarification on further steps regarding North Western Waters bycatch reduction plans. 2019. https://www.clientearth.org/media/4cclgcno/joint-ngo-letter-to-the-commission-on-bycatch-reduction-plans-coll-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=ClientEarth |title=Clarification on further steps regarding North Western Waters bycatch reduction plans |date=24 May 2019 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/4cclgcno/joint-ngo-letter-to-the-commission-on-bycatch-reduction-plans-coll-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{clientearth2019clarification, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{Clarification on further steps regarding North Western Waters bycatch reduction plans}}, publisher = {ClientEarth}, year = {2019}, month = may, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/4cclgcno/joint-ngo-letter-to-the-commission-on-bycatch-reduction-plans-coll-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }