The European Commission has adopted its proposal for fishing opportunities for 2026 for the Mediterranean and the Black Seas. The commission said the proposal promotes the sustainable management of fish stocks and delivers on previous political commitments.
For the Western Mediterranean, the proposal suggests maintaining all sustainable fishing practices established under the area's multiannual management plan. This includes regulating fishing effort for trawlers and longliners and setting catch limits for deep-water shrimps.
In the Adriatic Sea, the proposal includes the implementation of management plans for demersal and small pelagic stocks, with the goal of reaching sustainable fishing levels in 2026.
In the Black Sea, the proposal includes catch limits and quotas for sprat and turbot. The Commission proposes to maintain the 2025 catch limit for sprat, while the levels for turbot will be set in line with the provisions of the general fisheries commission for the mediterranean (GFCM) management plan.
The proposal will be complemented at a later stage based on the results of the GFCM annual session in November 2025 and updated scientific advice.
The council is expected to discuss the proposal and reach a political agreement on December 11-12, with the regulation to apply from January 1, 2026.