Assessing whether TACs are being set to achieve MSY – The difficulties and how they can be overcome

This briefing provides an overview of a range of difficulties associated with monitoring progress of Total Allowable Catch (TAC) decisions towards achieving the fundamental Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) objective of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). It highlights a number of issues largely related to a lack of transparency regarding the decision-making process of setting fishing limits, and provides recommendations on how these difficulties should be addressed.

This briefing is the first of a series of four briefings entitled ‘Matching fishing limits with sustainability and the law: difficulties and recommendations.’

Read the series:

• Mismatch between TACs and ICES advice – Why it is an issue and how to address it
• Quota top-ups and monitoring progress of TAC decisions towards MSY – Why top-up calculations are both crucial and challenging
• Reporting on progress of TAC decisions and the state of fish stocks towards MSY – Why reporting is important and how it can be improved