Advice & Recommendations

BSAC recommendations for the fishery in the Baltic Sea in 2025.

Translations are available in:

• Polish: BSACrecommendationsfisheriesBalticin2025_PL
• German: BSACrecommendationsfisheryBalticin2025 (1)_DE
• Swedish: BSACrecommendationsfisheryBalticin2025 (1)_SE
• Lithuanian: BSACrecommendationsfisheryBalticin2025_LT

The BSAC raised specific concerns with the study, in particular regarding the initial survey on which it was based.

The Commission’s answer was received on the 10th July 2024.

This document presents the BSAC recommendations on a shortlist of actions from the Commission Communication on CFP today and tomorrow: a Fisheries and Oceans Pact towards sustainable, science-based, innovative and inclusive fisheries management identified by BSAC ExCom to be relevant for BSAC.

BSAC already delivered its recommendations on the EU Action Plan in December 2023, these recommendations focus on the CFP Communication. It has been prepared based on discussions in the EBM WG in October 2023 and in the Demersal, Pelagic and EBW WG in February and March 2023.

The Executive Committee has given a new mandate to the Focus Group on rules of procedure to look into proposing a suitable BSAC definition of small-scale fishing vessels as well as indicators to establish what share such vessels would represent of a Member State’s fishing fleet.

The FG met on the 5^th March and has proposed a letter to be addressed to the Member States representatives.

The Executive Committee validated the letter that was subsequently sent on the 3rd April 2024.

The BSAC provided input on various aspects of the MAP evaluation. The replies to and results of the survey will be used to inform the Commission’s implementation report.

BSAC agreed on input to the HELCOM FISH meeting regarding identifying the fish species for which there is a need for better data under the Baltic Sea Action Plan Action S40.

This input was presented to the HELCOM FISH meeting on 13th March 2024.

This document presents the BSAC response to the questions from the Commission regarding two specific actions of the CFP Communication:

1. The further development of social indicators to be used in the analysis of socio-economic reports with the help of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF).
2. Discussions among Member States and stakeholders with a view to preparing a vademecum on the allocation of fishing opportunities to improve transparency, promote sustainable practices across the EU and support small-scale and coastal fishers

The BSAC response has been elaborated based on members answers to a written consultation and discussions on the CFP Communication that took place in the Working Groups. The draft was circulated for comments of the members then validated by the Executive Committee on 15^th April 2024.

On 6^th December 2023, the European Commission tabled a proposal for a Regulation amending the Multiannual Plan for the Baltic[1] (the MAP) and opened the possibility to send some feedback on the proposal until 31^st January 2024.

The Executive Committee adopted the BSAC reply on 24^th January 2024.

DG MARE invited the BSAC Chair and Vice Chair to the roundtable with the Commissioner. BSAC agreed on a written input and received an answer in April 2024.

In response to the Commission letter of  the 10th November, BSAC invited the Commission to discuss ongoing and future ICES requests at the next Executive Committee.

The Advisory Councils together sent a letter to the Commission on taking into account stakeholders’ input.

This document sets out the BSAC recommendations in relation to the EU Action Plan: Protecting and restoring marine ecosystems for sustainable and resilient fisheries.

The recommendations are set out in line with the structure of the Commission document. Different actions are referred to under respective chapters.