The European Commission today proposed a 22% increase in monkfish fishing opportunities and a 6% increase in horse mackerel, and a 20% cut in hake for 2027 in Portuguese waters.
As for the goraz, the executive proposed, for the next two years, a 35% reduction in the catch quota in continental waters, based on scientific advice and precautionary considerations, and maintaining the quota in the Azores.
The proposals, based on scientific opinions, also include a quota of 50 tonnes for curved ray fishing in national waters for 2027 and 2008.
For hake, the Commission proposes to decrease the catch quota by 20%.
With regard to species such as cod and areeiro, the total admissible catches (TAC) and the corresponding allocation of quotas have not yet been fixed, the same happening for espadim, flying tuna, bigeye tuna, and bluefin tuna.
Today the executive adopted its proposal relating to fishing opportunities for 2027 for 11 stock units managed by the EU in the Atlantic, the Kattegat and the Skagerrak.
For six of these stock units, including the goraz and curved ray, the proposal also sets the catches for 2028 and, in some cases, for 2029.
The TAC proposal is based on the most recent scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).
Brussels’ objective is to keep fishing under sustainable conditions, support the sector’s long-term viability and contribute to the recovery of stock units that remain under pressure.
The Commission’s proposal will be analyzed and finalised at the EU Fisheries Council in December, with negotiations that are expected to drag on.
