Sittings · Document

DRAFT REPORT (COM(2025)0195 – C100082/2025 – 2025/0106(COD)) 2025-11-13

On the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2017/2107 laying down management, conservation and control measures applicable in the Convention area of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), Regulation (EU) 2018/975 laying down management, conservation and control measures applicable in the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO) Convention Area, Regulation (EU) 2019/833 laying down conservation and enforcement measures applicable in the Regulatory Area of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation, Regulation (EU) 2021/56 laying down management, conservation and control measures applicable in the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Convention, Regulation (EU) 2022/2056 laying down conservation and management measures applicable in the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Area, Regulation (EU) 2022/2343 laying down management, conservation and control measures applicable in the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) Area of Competence, and Regulation (EU) 2023/2053 establishing a multiannual management plan for bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean

Committee on Fisheries · Rapporteur: Thomas Bajada

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✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 18 Sept 2026

This is the rapporteur's draft report on a Commission proposal to amend seven EU regulations transposing rules of six regional fisheries management organisations. It amends the proposal to add missing RFMO recommendations adopted up to 2024, tighten shark, cetacean and seabird protection, and update data protection and reporting rules. The amendments prohibit retaining, transhipping or landing whale sharks, mobulid rays and cetaceans, and set conditions for keeping South Atlantic shortfin mako. They also require safe release practices for sharks and rules on lost fishing gear and plastics. The text lays down reporting deadlines and data flows between fishing vessels, member states, the Commission and RFMO secretariats, and allows the Commission to use a designated body for these tasks. It adds confidentiality and data protection provisions to each amended regulation, allowing personal data storage for 10 years, or up to 20 years for infringement follow-up.

Committee position. The rapporteur proposes to amend the Commission proposal to transpose missing RFMO recommendations adopted up to 2024, strengthen protection for sharks, cetaceans and seabirds, update data protection rules, and allow the Commission to use a designated body for information flows.

Key points

  1. The draft report adopts Parliament's first-reading position on the Commission proposal and amends it to include RFMO recommendations adopted up to 2024 that were missing.
  2. It prohibits retaining, transhipping or landing any part of whale sharks caught with ICCAT fisheries, and prohibits setting purse seines on tuna schools associated with a whale shark.
  3. It prohibits retaining, transhipping, landing or storing mobulid rays caught with ICCAT fisheries, and requires member states to record and report discards and releases.
  4. It allows Union vessels 12 metres or more in length overall to retain South Atlantic shortfin mako only if dead on haulback and with an observer or electronic monitoring system on board, and limits smaller vessels to one specimen per trip.
  5. It prohibits catching, retaining, transhipping, storing, landing or selling cetaceans by longline and purse seine vessels, and requires safe handling and release.
  6. It requires vessels to report lost or abandoned gillnets within 48 hours, and prohibits discharging plastics into the sea and abandoning fishing gear without attempting retrieval.
  7. It sets deadlines for catch reporting, transhipment notifications and inspection reports, and allows member states and the Commission to use a designated body for information flows.
  8. It adds confidentiality and data protection rules to each amended regulation, requiring personal data storage for no longer than 10 years, or up to 20 years for infringement follow-up.
  9. It requires member states to draw up national management plans for drifting and anchored fish aggregating devices and to phase in biodegradable DFADs by 1 January 2026, 2027 and 2029.
  10. It requires longline vessels south of 25 degrees South latitude to use at least two seabird mitigation measures or hook-shielding devices.
  11. It allows member states to use electronic monitoring systems to complement or substitute human observer coverage, subject to IOTC standards.
  12. It sets a 5% margin of error for bluefin tuna carry-over assessments, requiring release of the corresponding number of fish if exceeded.

Who is affected

  • Union fishing vessels in ICCAT, SPRFMO, NAFO, IATTC, WCPFC and IOTC areas, which must follow new prohibitions, reporting and gear rules.
  • Member states, which must ensure observer programmes, collect and transmit data, and draw up management plans for fish aggregating devices.
  • The Commission and the European Fisheries Control Agency, which may act as the designated body for information flows.
  • Fishing vessel masters and crews, who must apply safe release practices, report lost gear and store plastics on board.

Figures and deadlines

  • 12 metres in length overall: threshold for vessels allowed to retain South Atlantic shortfin mako under conditions.
  • 10 years: maximum storage period for personal data, extendable to 20 years for infringement follow-up.
  • 48 hours: deadline for reporting lost or abandoned gillnets and fishing gear.
  • 1 January 2026, 1 January 2027 and 1 January 2029: dates for phasing in biodegradable DFAD categories.
  • 25 degrees South latitude: area where longline vessels must use at least two seabird mitigation measures.
  • 5%: margin of error allowed between carry-over assessment and expected number of bluefin tuna in a cage.
  • 31 consecutive days: minimum period for which member states may prohibit fishing for bigeye, yellowfin and skipjack tuna.
  • 20%: maximum bycatch limit for silky sharks in live weight per fishing trip for longline vessels.

Legal basis: Article 294(2) and Article 43(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text and ¶ links to the paragraph it rests on. Check the text itself before relying on it.