Fisheries ministers in the European Union reached an agreement this morning on quotas for 2023. Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Maria do Céu Antunes, speaks of a positive result, with a “significant increase” in relation to certain species, such as hake .
“The Portuguese quota increases by more than 100%, we go from 2,286 tons to 4,645, in the case of monkfish it increases by 12% [até 689 toneladas]the sandbox 33%, [para 92 toneladas] and horse mackerel 15% [totalizado 117.126 toneladas]the minister revealed.
Other species maintained last year’s catch quotas, although Brussels proposed significant cuts. For example, sea bream had predicted a reduction of 27%, but in the end last year’s quota did not change.
“We have been able to maintain this quota, i.e. 600 tons, which represents an achievement of EUR 2 million for the Azores alone and stability for more than 2,500 fishermen and more than 70% of their vessels,” emphasizes Maria do Céu Antunes , adding that the species that maintained the quota represent a total of “10 million euros”.
Fishermen will be able to catch 407 tonnes of sole from the sea, also maintaining last year’s quota despite the Commission’s warning of a quota reduction. Maria do Céu Antunes guarantees that there is no risk to the sustainability of the marine ecosystem.
🇧🇷[Para] all the species that were conserved – bream, sole and curved ray – we have no data to show us that there are problems with regard to stability, to present this proposal by the Commission”.
The agriculture minister also said at the end of a marathon of negotiations that began on Sunday and continued for 24 hours without interruption that it was possible to keep the target of eel fishing in the Minho River.
With regard to cod, ministers also “set the quarterly quota for the Norwegian archipelago of Spitsbergen, which will allow activity to continue until there is an agreement with Norway”. That agreement is expected to be reached in March.
Source: DN
