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The European Parliament gave green light to multi-year plan for Western Waters.
European Parliament approves western waters fisheries management plan
 EUROPEAN UNION
Wednesday, February 13, 2019, 23:10 (GMT + 9)
The European Parliament (EP) plenary yesterday gave its support to the multiannual plan for the management of demersal fisheries in Western Waters, which had already been agreed informally with the ministers of the European Union.
The agreement to create the new multi-year plan was approved by 525 votes in favor, 132 against and 19 abstentions.
Council of Ministers voting
The plan, which applies to the northeastern Atlantic area, known as Western Waters, affects vessels from Spain, Belgium, Germany, France, Ireland, Portugal and the United Kingdom, which fish for hake and Norway lobster in the Biscay Bay and in western Iberian Peninsula, Bay of Biscay sole, as well as herring and cod.
The plan´s objective is to ensure that less than 5 percent of the stocks runs the risk of having their reproductive capacity reduced.
The text simplifies fisheries management in a main regulatory framework, and revokes the current plans for sole in the Western channel and the Bay of Biscay, the Norway lobster and the northern and southern hake. It also proposes a flexibility for the last two stocks mentioned, along with cod, haddock and whiting from the North Sea and the sole caught in the Bay of Biscay.
The key target species, which represent around 95 percent of the landings, will be managed according to the principle of maximum sustainable yield (MSY), which is one of the cornerstones of the reformed CFP, and should be set within a range of FMSY values (fishing mortality consistent with achieving maximum sustainable yield).
Depth sea bottom stern trawler.
Meanwhile, by-catches will be managed according to a precautionary approach.
The plan also incorporates safeguard measures to restore stocks when they fall below safe biological limits.
Related article:
- Council of Ministers confirm Western Waters multiannual plan
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