How TACs become national quotas
Within the European Union, fisheries are managed through the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which includes a system of Total Allowable Catches.
EU regulation establishes TACs each year for most stocks in the waters around Ireland. The EU, the UK, and Norway negotiate TACs at bilateral and trilateral meetings. The Council of Ministers also meets each December in Brussels. Member States then receive a proportion of each TAC, which becomes the national quota.
For full details of the most recent TACs and quotas, see the European Commission website.
Scientific and economic advice
TACs are based on advice from the Advisory Committee (ACOM) of ICES. ACOM provides management advice based on the current status of fish stocks.
Stock assessment models determine this status using data collected by the Marine Institute and international colleagues. The process also considers economic information through STECF, the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries.
The annual TAC process
This flowchart traces how fish-stock monitoring, international scientific advice, negotiations, and economic considerations contribute to annual TAC decisions.