October 5 (SeeNews) - The European Commission on Monday proposed a 25% cut in the 2010 total allowable catch (TAC) for turbot to 76 tonnes and unchanged TAC of 12,750 tonnes for sprat in the Black Sea waters which belong to the European Union.
"While we have been able to maintain the total catch limit for sprat, we had to propose a reduction for turbot since scientists have recently warned us of the poor situation of this stock. In the mid-term, we want to introduce management plans for critical fish stocks, as we do in other regions. This will help us to manage the fisheries better, as full account will be taken of conservation needs while ensuring more transparency and predictability for the industry," Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Joe Borg said in a statement.
The sprat TAC will not be allocated per quotas, while the TAC for turbot would be equally divided between Bulgaria and Romania.
Black Sea neighbours Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU in January 2007.