Recommendations to the EU on the setting of fishing opportunities for 2023

The document argues that the EU failed its 2020 legal deadline to end overfishing and continues to set Total Allowable Catches (TACs) above scientific advice. It calls for the strict application of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), the precautionary approach, and ecosystem-based management, particularly for depleted, deep-sea, and shared stocks. Key recommendations include setting TACs below maximum catch advice to create 'climate buffers', implementing remote electronic monitoring to enforce the Landing Obligation, and prioritizing the recovery of critically endangered species like the European eel.

• The EU failed to meet the legal deadline of 2020 to end overfishing and harvest all stocks sustainably, with many stocks remaining overfished or outside safe biological limits.
• Total Allowable Catches (TACs) frequently exceed scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). Analysis shows 48% of assessed TACs exceeded advice for 2020, 44% for 2021, and 33% for 2022.
• The Landing Obligation (LO) is not effectively controlled or enforced, with widespread non-compliance and unreported discarding across Member States.
• Deep-sea fish populations are exceptionally vulnerable due to slow growth and late maturity, yet TACs for these stocks are often set above precautionary advice or removed entirely.
• The European eel is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, and ICES advice recommends zero catch of all life stages and in all habitats.
• The document recommends setting TACs below maximum catch advice for species vulnerable to climate change to provide a 'climate buffer' and improve population resilience.
• In mixed fisheries, the EU often prioritizes economically profitable stocks over vulnerable ones, which the NGOs argue perpetuates the depletion of vulnerable populations.

APA

ClientEarth (2022). Recommendations to the EU on the setting of fishing opportunities for 2023. https://www.clientearth.org/media/40vh4qga/ngo-tac-recommendations-to-eu-for-2023-signed-off.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. Recommendations to the EU on the setting of fishing opportunities for 2023. 2022. https://www.clientearth.org/media/40vh4qga/ngo-tac-recommendations-to-eu-for-2023-signed-off.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=ClientEarth |title=Recommendations to the EU on the setting of fishing opportunities for 2023 |date=22 September 2022 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/40vh4qga/ngo-tac-recommendations-to-eu-for-2023-signed-off.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{clientearth2022recommendations, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{Recommendations to the EU on the setting of fishing opportunities for 2023}}, publisher = {ClientEarth}, year = {2022}, month = sep, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/40vh4qga/ngo-tac-recommendations-to-eu-for-2023-signed-off.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }