At the start of the week, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, indicated that the aim was to determine the European Commission’s November proposal on total allowable catches TACs and 2024 quotas. Yesterday, Brussels published its initial approach to negotiations that usually take place in the first half of December. The Gran Sol quotas are influenced by the United Kingdom leaving the European Union and were negotiated with the British side under the leadership of the Lithuanian commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius. The proposal centers on species that impact Spain directly, especially those inhabiting Iberian waters. If changes exist compared to prior years, the numbers appear positive. Brussels intends to raise quotas for hake, monkfish, rapante or rooster fish, and horse mackerel, while the Cantabrian crayfish quotas remain a drawback.
Acknowledging the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries and other scientific bodies, the European Commission aligns with ICES projections. The commission recommends a good 10 percent increase in hake fishing opportunities in regions VIIIc and IXa, spanning from the Gulf of Cadiz to the Basque Country. The overall effect is a rise of 17,445 tons, with increases of 11 percent for rapante and 7 percent for monkfish, translating to 3,622 and 4,650 tons for the next year respectively.
In the IXa zone extending south from Fisterra, tuna catches remain lower due to scarce presence along the Galicia coast, yet the EC foresees a 5 percent uptick, potentially lifting the total to 173,873 tons. Data from the first nine months show Galician markets moving 8,218 tons, marking a 31.5 percent decrease from the same period in 2022.
The negative note again concerns the crayfish. Brussels proposes quotas only for functional units 31 and 25, the subdivisions containing Cantabrian Sea stocks. In the first unit, a 27 percent decline to 12.4 tons is projected, and in the second, catching is proposed to be set at zero for 2024 and 2025.
Recreational fishing limits are also set by the European Commission. Specifically for catching perch in zones VIIIa and VIIIb along the Bay of Biscay in French waters, only one fish per day will be allowed in line with the species MSY.
multi-year
The European Commission notes that for the first time a quota framework is proposed to span more than one year, a move that Spain has long advocated. In total, nine TACs will become multi-year according to ICES guidance, aiming to provide greater fleet predictability.
For now, the decision emphasizes species with lower capture likelihood for Spanish-flagged vessels. These include western Ireland and Iberian waters flounder and sole, Bay of Biscay haddock, and UF 25 crayfish.
The situation could emerge where Gran Sol quotas lacking immediate information remain valid until 2026, while talks with the British side continue in light of Brexit developments.
Consultations continue with Norway and the United Kingdom as decisions from various regional fisheries management organizations are integrated, explains a Brussels source.
The Council is expected to discuss the Commission’s proposal, with negotiations planned for December 11 and 12.