Taking stock - are TACs set to achieve MSY?

The report finds that progress toward ending overfishing by 2020 has been too slow, with a majority of agreed TACs for 2019 still exceeding scientific advice. It highlights a systemic lack of ambition for stocks subject to precautionary advice and those classified as bycatch, while identifying specific Member States—including France, Ireland, and Spain—as frequent advocates for unsustainable catch limits. The document also criticizes the lack of transparency in the TAC-setting process and the potential for misleading reporting by the European Commission.

• Progress toward setting sustainable TACs in line with scientific advice and the law has been too slow since 2015. In 2019, the European Commission's proposals exceeded scientific advice in 41% to 47% of cases, and the Council frequently exceeded these proposals further.
• There is a significant disparity in how MSY-assessed stocks and precautionary-advice stocks are managed. In 2019, 64% of TACs for MSY-assessed stocks followed scientific advice, whereas only 15% of TACs for stocks with precautionary advice did so.
• Decision-makers prioritize target stocks over bycatch stocks, with the latter being treated with lower ambition. In 2019, the percentage of TACs above scientific advice and the average percentage difference from that advice were both considerably higher for bycatch stocks than for target stocks.
• The Council tends to set TACs at the maximum single stock advice rather than leaving a buffer, which contradicts the CFP objective of restoring stocks above MSY biomass levels. Furthermore, the Council is more likely to exceed advice when a cut is recommended than when a rollover or increase is advised.
• The implementation of the landing obligation is flawed, leading to risks of overfishing. This is exacerbated by poor compliance, unreported discards, and a lack of clarity regarding the calculations for quota top-ups and exemption deductions.
• The TAC-setting process suffers from a lack of transparency and accountability, often occurring 'behind closed doors.' The European Ombudsman confirmed these concerns in October 2019, recommending that the Council publish related documents as soon as they are circulated to Member States.
• Certain Member States are more vocal in pushing for unsustainable TACs based on socio-economic claims that often lack evidence. France, Ireland, and Spain are among the top four Member States that most frequently pushed for higher than advised TACs across 2017-2019.
• European Commission reporting on progress toward MSY can be misleadingly positive. By focusing on the volume of landings for EU-exclusively managed MSY stocks, the Commission excludes the majority of stocks subject to precautionary advice and shared stocks, which are often more heavily overfished.
• Nine stocks remained below the limit reference point for biomass (Blim) in 2019, including Irish Sea whiting and sole, and cod in the Celtic Sea and west of Scotland. In some cases, 'bycatch TACs' were introduced for stocks with zero-catch advice based on ineffective bycatch reduction plans.

APA

ClientEarth (2019). Taking stock - are TACs set to achieve MSY? https://www.clientearth.org/media/djnlvo5e/taking-stock-are-tacs-set-to-achieve-msy-ce-en.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. Taking stock - are TACs set to achieve MSY? 2019. https://www.clientearth.org/media/djnlvo5e/taking-stock-are-tacs-set-to-achieve-msy-ce-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=ClientEarth |title=Taking stock - are TACs set to achieve MSY? |date=November 2019 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/djnlvo5e/taking-stock-are-tacs-set-to-achieve-msy-ce-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{clientearth2019taking, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{Taking stock - are TACs set to achieve MSY?}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, year = {2019}, month = nov, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/djnlvo5e/taking-stock-are-tacs-set-to-achieve-msy-ce-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }