MARINE conservation organisation Oceana is calling for the EU to follow scientific advice in determining the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) of anchovy in the Bay of Biscay.
The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has proposed a TAC of 6,000 tonnes according to the precautionary approach, which would ensure that another anchovy collapse like that of 2005 does not happen again.
Ricardo Aguilar, Research Director of Oceana in Europe, said: “Anchovy in the Gulf of Biscay is an incredibly vulnerable stock. In spite of being a short-lived species, it has taken the stock almost five years to recover from the collapse which occurred in 2005. This slow recovery was due to low recruitment episodes, whose causes are still unknown. This situation not only threatens the continuance of this species, but also the livelihoods of fishermen. The current situation necessitates a TAC of 6.000 tonnes in accordance with the precautionary approach.”
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