Fisheries ministers are risking the sustainability of fish stocks by consistently setting fishing limits above scientific advice, according to The Economics Foundation.

The publication claims that agreed total allowable catches, or TACs, for EU waters between 2001 and 2018 show that, on average, two-thirds of TACs were set above scientific advice. While the percentage by which TACs were set above advice declined throughout this period, from 42 percent to 8 percent in all EU waters, the proportion of TACs set above advice did not.

For the 2019 Northeast Atlantic TACs, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Ireland top the league table of Member States with the highest percentage of their TAC in excess of scientific advice (see table below). These Member States were involved with TAC decisions that allow fishing at 52 percent, 24 percent, and 22 percent, respectively, above scientific advice.

The UK, Denmark, and Ireland are the worst offenders in terms of the total tonnage of TAC set above advice. Ministers representing these Member States have received the largest TAC increases above scientific advice in terms of tonnes and are therefore the most responsible for impeding the transition to sustainable fisheries in the EU.