Agreement reached on 2027 fishing opportunities for the Baltic Sea

The Council of the European Union reached a political agreement on the fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2027, following the Commission proposal made in August this year.

The Council decided to set the total allowable catch (TAC) limits for the following stocks:

The Council followed the Commission proposal on numerous elements. However, the Commission is concerned that the continued targeted commercial fisheries for western Baltic herring and recreational fisheries for main basin salmon are less likely to contribute to the recovery of these stocks. The Commission highlights that these decisions may not be in line with the applicable legal framework, including the Baltic multiannual plan. In addition, the Commission takes notes of the level of allowed by-catches set by the Council. Given the state of the stocks, the Commission recalls the importance of setting these TACs at a level strictly limited to prevent a choke situation and thus avoid any increase in fishing pressure. 

Overall, the dire environmental state of the Baltic Sea leads to the pressing need to fully implement the EU legislation at all levels in an effective and systematic manner.