Mismatch between TACs and ICES advice – Why it is an issue and how to address it

This briefing presents the issues we have encountered when comparing the Total Allowable Catches (TACs) proposed by the European Commission and then set by the Council of Ministers to the scientific advice they should be based on. It provides a systematic overview of the types of mismatch between TACs and scientific advice and the additional data needed to address these. It also explains how conclusions about TACs being in line with scientific advice can be limited in the different mismatch scenarios, where no such additional data are available.

This briefing is an update of a previous version published in November 2015. It is the second of a series of four briefings entitled ‘Matching fishing limits with sustainability and the law: difficulties and recommendations’.