51
3.2.1.1 The TAC System
So-called total allowable catches (TACs)
5 are the key management measure for
fi sheries under CFP. These TACs are allocated amongst the EU Member States as
‘national fi shing quotas’ on the basis of the ‘relative stability’ principle (Symes
1997 ), which ensures Member States a fi xed percentage share of fi shing opportunities for commercial species by taking into account countries’ historical catch records
before joining CFP.
TACs and quotas
6 are annually allocated for all commercially important fi sh
stocks of the Baltic Sea. The EU Council of Ministers takes fi nal decisions regarding TACs and related measures. The Council receives a proposal from the EU
Commission for the following year’s TACs and the conditions under which they
should be caught.
The EU Commission is informed by scientifi c advice from the International
Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) in order to prepare proposals for
TACs and other regulations (cf. Hegland 2009 ). ICES is an intergovernmental scientifi c organisation founded in 1902 and brings together more than 1,600 marine
scientists from 20 countries to coordinate and promote marine science and provide
scientifi c advice to a set of clients in response to their requests (see www.ices.dk ).
The biggest client of ICES is the European Commission with most advice requests
coming from DG MARE and some from DG Environment. The OSPAR and
HELCOM Conventions are also amongst ICES’s regular clients. With its permanent secretariat in Copenhagen, Denmark, the main part of ICES’s work is carried
out by more than 100 working groups, assigned to specifi c topics of research. Whilst
analysis of the conditions of fi sh stocks remains the main job of ICES in the fi sheries area, the scientifi c organisation tries to increasingly provide advice at ecosystem
level to support the intended shift towards a more holistic approach to managing
Europe’s seas (cf. Stange et al. 2012 ).
Scientifi c advice from ICES is also received by and channelled through the
European Commission’s own Scientifi c, Technical and Economic Committee for
Fisheries ( STECF ) which is made up of scientists and experts, particularly in the
fi elds of marine biology, marine ecology, fi sheries science, fi shing gear technology
and fi shery economics. It is the task of STECF to review the assessment of ICES
with regard to biological, ecological, technological and economic issues and to pass
it on to the Commission’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
(DG MARE).
DG MARE, in addition to obtaining the scientifi c advice from ICES and STECF’s
evaluation of it, also executes a consultation process, which includes receiving
advice from two stakeholder structures , the Advisory Committee on Fisheries and
5 Under EU law, TAC means the quantity that can be taken from a stock each year. After CFP
reform in 2013 and its ban to discard fi sh at sea, TACs now refer to the actual catch rather than
landings.
6 Under EU law, ‘quota’ means a proportion of the TAC allocated to the Community, a Member
State or a third country.
3 Fisheries: A Case Study of Baltic Sea Environmental Governance
3.2.1.1 The TAC System
So-called total allowable catches (TACs)
5 are the key management measure for
fi sheries under CFP. These TACs are allocated amongst the EU Member States as
‘national fi shing quotas’ on the basis of the ‘relative stability’ principle (Symes
1997 ), which ensures Member States a fi xed percentage share of fi shing opportunities for commercial species by taking into account countries’ historical catch records
before joining CFP.
TACs and quotas
6 are annually allocated for all commercially important fi sh
stocks of the Baltic Sea. The EU Council of Ministers takes fi nal decisions regarding TACs and related measures. The Council receives a proposal from the EU
Commission for the following year’s TACs and the conditions under which they
should be caught.
The EU Commission is informed by scientifi c advice from the International
Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) in order to prepare proposals for
TACs and other regulations (cf. Hegland 2009 ). ICES is an intergovernmental scientifi c organisation founded in 1902 and brings together more than 1,600 marine
scientists from 20 countries to coordinate and promote marine science and provide
scientifi c advice to a set of clients in response to their requests (see www.ices.dk ).
The biggest client of ICES is the European Commission with most advice requests
coming from DG MARE and some from DG Environment. The OSPAR and
HELCOM Conventions are also amongst ICES’s regular clients. With its permanent secretariat in Copenhagen, Denmark, the main part of ICES’s work is carried
out by more than 100 working groups, assigned to specifi c topics of research. Whilst
analysis of the conditions of fi sh stocks remains the main job of ICES in the fi sheries area, the scientifi c organisation tries to increasingly provide advice at ecosystem
level to support the intended shift towards a more holistic approach to managing
Europe’s seas (cf. Stange et al. 2012 ).
Scientifi c advice from ICES is also received by and channelled through the
European Commission’s own Scientifi c, Technical and Economic Committee for
Fisheries ( STECF ) which is made up of scientists and experts, particularly in the
fi elds of marine biology, marine ecology, fi sheries science, fi shing gear technology
and fi shery economics. It is the task of STECF to review the assessment of ICES
with regard to biological, ecological, technological and economic issues and to pass
it on to the Commission’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
(DG MARE).
DG MARE, in addition to obtaining the scientifi c advice from ICES and STECF’s
evaluation of it, also executes a consultation process, which includes receiving
advice from two stakeholder structures , the Advisory Committee on Fisheries and
5 Under EU law, TAC means the quantity that can be taken from a stock each year. After CFP
reform in 2013 and its ban to discard fi sh at sea, TACs now refer to the actual catch rather than
landings.
6 Under EU law, ‘quota’ means a proportion of the TAC allocated to the Community, a Member
State or a third country.
3 Fisheries: A Case Study of Baltic Sea Environmental Governance