(Lack of) catch documentation under the landing obligation and how exemptions may defeat rather than prove the rule

The landing obligation, in force since January 2019, requires EU fishers to bring almost all catches to shore to eliminate wasteful discarding and provide accurate catch data. However, ClientEarth argues that compliance is poor and the system is riddled with exemptions, with 48% of 2019 and 55% of 2020 Total Allowable Catches (TACs) subject to one or more exemptions. These gaps in reporting, combined with a 'margin of tolerance' for underreporting, make it difficult to monitor illegal discarding and risk overfishing. Because TACs were 'topped up' to reflect total catches rather than just landings, they were on average 50% higher in 2020 than landings-based scientific advice. The document recommends removing the 50 kg reporting threshold, requiring electronic reporting for all vessels (including those under 10 metres), installing Remote Electronic Monitoring, and transparently deducting exemption discards from TACs.

• The landing obligation was introduced as part of the 2013 Common Fisheries Policy reform to eliminate discarding, encourage selective fishing, and provide a robust picture of total catches.
• Current catch reporting requirements for EU vessels 10 metres or longer include recording all catches above 50 kg live-weight equivalent falling under the landing obligation and all discards under any exemption.
• A significant portion of Total Allowable Catches (TACs) are subject to exemptions, with ClientEarth's analysis showing 48% of 2019 TACs and 55% of 2020 TACs were affected.

APA

Grossmann, J. (2020). (Lack of) catch documentation under the landing obligation and how exemptions may defeat rather than prove the rule. ClientEarth. https://www.clientearth.org/media/3wggta4l/lack-of-catch-documentation-under-the-landing-obligation-and-how-exemptions-may-defeat-rather-than-prove-the-rule.pdf

Chicago

Grossmann, Jenni. (Lack of) catch documentation under the landing obligation and how exemptions may defeat rather than prove the rule. ClientEarth, 2020. https://www.clientearth.org/media/3wggta4l/lack-of-catch-documentation-under-the-landing-obligation-and-how-exemptions-may-defeat-rather-than-prove-the-rule.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Grossmann |first1=Jenni |title=(Lack of) catch documentation under the landing obligation and how exemptions may defeat rather than prove the rule |publisher=ClientEarth |date=December 2020 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/3wggta4l/lack-of-catch-documentation-under-the-landing-obligation-and-how-exemptions-may-defeat-rather-than-prove-the-rule.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{grossmann2020lack, author = {Grossmann, Jenni}, title = {{(Lack of) catch documentation under the landing obligation and how exemptions may defeat rather than prove the rule}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, year = {2020}, month = dec, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/3wggta4l/lack-of-catch-documentation-under-the-landing-obligation-and-how-exemptions-may-defeat-rather-than-prove-the-rule.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }