Briefing Series “Recommendations to the EU and the UK on the setting of fishing opportunities” – Briefing 1 of 11: Cover briefing: Key recommendations on setting fishing opportunities

This is the Cover Briefing of the joint Briefing Series “Recommendations to the EU and the UK on the setting of fishing opportunities”, co-signed by 29 organisations (including environmental NGOs and recreational representatives), on the setting of recovery-focused, precautionary and ecosystem-based fishing opportunities, aimed at: 

This Cover Briefing presents our key recommendations to EU and UK decision-makers across the wide range of topics covered in more detail throughout the rest of the Briefing Series. These recommendations cover both fish populations exploited by the EU or the UK alone, and those shared bilaterally or with third countries like Norway. 

Our core recommendation is that, until fundamental shortcomings in the "best available scientific advice" on fishing opportunities and in decision-makers' requests for such advice have been fully addressed (see Briefing 3), fishing opportunities should be set well below the scientific single-stock advice. This Cover Briefing explains  

Related links: 

Find the other 10 Briefings of the Briefing Series “Recommendations to the EU and the UK on the setting of fishing opportunities” here. 

Find a joint letter that was sent to EU Commissioner Kadis in April 2025 regarding shortcomings in the scientific advisory approach here. 

Find other files produced or co-signed by ClientEarth related to the annual negotiations on fishing opportunities from 2015 onwards here.