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Brussels – The European Commission will prohibit fishing in the Bay of Biscay for vessels over eight meters in length from January 22 to February 20, 2025, to prevent accidental catches of dolphins and other small cetaceans in line with the recommendation of Spain and three other Member States.
Brussels adopted a delegated act on Monday to implement these measures following a joint recommendation from Belgium, Spain, France, and Portugal. Unless the European Parliament or the Council objects in the next two months, the ban will come into effect to close the Bay of Biscay to large fishing vessels.
About 300 affected vessels will have to stay in port to avoid accidental catches of small cetaceans during the winter, a period identified by scientists as high risk for the species.
In addition to the one-month fishing ban, these measures include the mandatory use of acoustic deterrent devices and a year-round monitoring program of small cetaceans through observers and onboard cameras.
These measures aim to address the recurring problem of winter strandings of dolphins and small cetaceans on the coastlines of the Bay of Biscay, a situation that the Commission will continue to monitor closely next year to assess if additional measures are necessary.
The EU executive takes as an example the fishing ban already instituted by the French authorities from January 20 to February 22, 2024, affecting the fleet fishing in the Bay of Biscay and targeting species such as hake, monkfish, or megrim.
Brussels pointed out that emergency measures like the one adopted by the French authorities are a prerogative of Member States and welcomed France’s use of the instruments offered by the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) to effectively protect these species. (September 30)