From data collection to quota decisions

One of the key objectives of the EU's Common Fisheries Policy is to ensure the long-term sustainability of fish and other aquatic resources. To achieve this, the policy is grounded in the best available scientific evidence. The EU relies on the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) for information on the status and development of fish stocks and marine ecosystems.

Several factors influence fish stocks, including the number of fish born and surviving to a fishable age (recruitment), the amount of fish caught (fishing mortality), the presence of predators, food availability, diseases and parasites, and environmental factors like temperature, salinity, and oxygen levels.

Although it's impossible to know the exact size of fish stocks, mathematical models based on data from scientific studies and fishing activities allow for reliable estimates.

Internationally Coordinated Data Collection

To gather fishery-independent data, EU member states conduct various fish surveys each year, coordinated by ICES. In Sweden, these surveys are carried out by SLU Aqua on behalf of the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management, which coordinates Sweden’s contribution to the EU-wide data collection under the Data Collection Framework (DCF).

These internationally coordinated surveys include trawl surveys in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, as well as acoustic surveys (using echo sounders) in the Baltic Sea. Large-scale expeditions are conducted aboard the research vessel R/V Svea, while smaller boats (including chartered fishing vessels) are used for smaller standardized surveys. Random samples are taken to determine the length, weight, age, and sexual maturity of the fish, and eggs and larvae are analyzed. For Norway lobster, stock size is estimated by filming the seabed.

In addition to this, data from commercial fishing vessels, catches in ports, and official fleet statistics form the foundation for estimating fish populations.

From Data to Biological Advice

Once the sampling and biological analyses are complete, work begins on estimating the size of various fish stocks. These estimates rely on international collaboration among researchers and are conducted within ICES. Different working groups focus on specific areas, such as the Baltic Fisheries Assessment Working Group (WGBFAS) for Baltic Sea stocks, and the Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal Stocks in the North Sea and Skagerrak (WGNSSK) for North Sea stocks.

During week-long meetings, data from different countries is combined, analyzed using mathematical models, and compared to previous knowledge of stocks and ecological conditions. At regular benchmark meetings, methods and data are reviewed and updated based on new knowledge or revised data sources.

Next, the working groups’ conclusions and advice are reviewed by independent Advisory Drafting Groups (ADG), composed of experts from member countries. These groups assess the conclusions and forward them to ICES’ Advisory Committee (ACOM), which refines the advice into official recommendations.

ICES provides advice on fish stocks in the Baltic Sea in May, and advice for most species in the North Sea and Atlantic in June. The official advice is then published on the ICES website.

ICES bases its advice on the principle that, after accounting for fishing and natural mortality, sufficient spawning fish should remain to ensure the reproduction and health of future generations. This is in line with the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy, which aims to manage all fish stocks according to the Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) principle.

After the Council – Negotiation Day!

ICES advice focuses on the biological aspects of fish stocks, but it’s up to decision-makers to weigh this information against economic and social considerations in fisheries management. The EU's fisheries policy not only aims to preserve fish stocks and protect marine ecosystems but also seeks to achieve economic, social, and employment benefits while contributing to food security. This often leads to conflicts between different objectives.

Ahead of the annual negotiations within the EU, as well as with key players like Norway and the UK, each country reviews the ICES advice and determines its positions for the joint negotiations with other EU member states. This process picks up significant momentum after the summer when the EU Commission, guided by ICES advice, presents its proposals for the following year's fishing opportunities (Total Allowable Catch or TAC).

Alongside this, an extensive consultation process takes place within various regional bodies, with lobby groups from different stakeholder sectors playing an active role in influencing decision-makers. Ultimately, it is the ministers responsible for fisheries policy in each member state who negotiate and make the final decisions in the Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH). In Sweden, this responsibility falls to the Minister for Rural Affairs. Decisions on fishing opportunities for the Baltic Sea are made in October, while those for the North Sea are decided in December.

Once these decisions are made, the member states allocate their national quotas to their respective fishing fleets.