PelAC urges EU Commission to harmonise North Sea horse mackerel bycatch TAC rules, warning of unequal fleet treatment.
The Pelagic Advisory Council (PelAC) has called on the European Commission to urgently harmonise the implementation of the 2025 bycatch Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for North Sea horse mackerel, citing growing challenges and inconsistencies between EU member states.
In a letter sent on 27 March 2025 to Charlina Vitcheva, Director-General of the Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), PelAC Chair Esben Sverdrup-Jensen warned that national-level measures have created an uneven playing field for European fishing fleets.
The call for action follows the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) advice issued on 30 September 2024, which recommended zero catch for North Sea horse mackerel in 2025. This stark recommendation was based on the stock’s spawning biomass falling below the biological limit (Blim) and fishing mortality exceeding sustainable thresholds (Flim).
Despite this, the 2025 TAC and quota regulation introduced a small bycatch quota of 970 tonnes. According to PelAC, the fragmented and inconsistent enforcement of this limit has complicated operations for fishing vessels, with some member states requiring the purchase of landing rights or banning sales for human consumption entirely.
“The PelAC would like to highlight the importance of harmonisation in the implementation of this regime,” wrote Sverdrup-Jensen, stressing the need to “ensure a level playing field between European fishing fleets.”
The council also highlighted the need for continued scientific monitoring. Although the North Sea horse mackerel is a Category 1 stock—making it eligible for advice under the Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) approach—accurate assessments depend on adequate data collection. The Commission has requested ICES to advise on the minimum level of catch required under a monitoring TAC to maintain effective scientific oversight.
PelAC welcomed this initiative but emphasised the need for timely implementation of ICES’s forthcoming advice. “This is essential to ensure the continuity of scientific advice on stock status,” the council noted.
The advisory body requested an in-person meeting with DG MARE to discuss the matter further, signalling industry concern about the potential impact of inconsistent regulation on the pelagic sector.