Advice & Recommendations - Baltic Sea Advisory Council

Name	Summary	Date	Downloads
InterAC Letter on COM support for AC work	Letter to the European Commission regarding support and promotion of the work of the ACs, co-signed by all Advisory Councils. ExCom approved the letter and it was jointly sent on the 3rd February 2023.	03/02/23	The Letter
Western Baltic herring- follow-up	The BSAC replied to a letter exchange dating from December 2022 addressing the issue of Western Baltic Herring. It asked if the BSAC recommendations (1) to use the EU MultiAnnual Plan (MAP) for the Baltic Sea to act as a rebuilding plan and (2) to request ICES to put the EU MAP advice as its headline advice for 2024 were still considered by the Commission. The Commission answered on the 25.07.2023, explaining that the decision of the Council on the management of Western Baltic spring spawning herring in the Baltic for 2023 was based on the Baltic MAP. Pursuant to Article 5(2) in conjunction with Article 4(4) of the Baltic MAP, the Council kept closed the directed fishery and set a TAC for unavoidable by-catches. The Commission further explained that they are currently focusing on incentivizing spatial-temporal measures aimed at alleviating the fishing pressure on the stock given its intermixing with North Sea autumn spawning herring. There are no discussions today on a rebuilding plan with UK and Norway for this stock since these countries do not consider themselves responsible for the management of the stock. The Commission expressed the view that the development of a rebuilding plan should be handled as a domestic management issue.	31/01/23	The Letter The Commissions response
BSAC Input to the European Parliament PECH Committee Hearing on Baltic MAP	The BSAC Executive Committe Chair was invited to present the BSAC position on the Baltic Sea MultiAnnual Plan to the European Parliament Fisheries (PECH) Committee Hearing on the 23rd January.	23/01/23	PECH Committee Hearing Programme BSAC Input (23/01/23) BSAC report of the Hearing (23/01/23) BSAC report of the Fisheries Committee (24/01/23) Thank you letter from the Chair of the Committee (02.02.2023) BSAC Chair Invitation of Fisheries Committee members to BSAC meetings in May (21/02/23)
BSAC letter invitation to launch of EFCA’s new chartered patrol vessels	Sent date:30/12/2022 \| Reply date:25/01/2023 BSAC Executive Committee Chair was invited to Vigo for the launch of EFCA’s new chartered patrol vessels on the 17th January. – Invitation form EFCA 16/12/22 – Response from BSAC ExCom Chair 30/12/22 – Input from BSAC ExCom Chair for the event 17/01/23 – EFCA reply on continued cooperation 25/01/23	30/12/22
BSAC Input to the Commissioner’s Roundtable meeting	Sent date:06/12/2022 \| Reply date:16/12/2022 The Executive Committee chair and the Vice Chair were invited to the Commissioner’s Roundtable meeting on the 5th of December 2022. The BSAC EBW WG Chair replaced the Vice-Chair that was unavailable. BSAC produced an input that was the basis of the BSAC representatives’ intervention and that was later sent to the Commissionner. – Report from BSAC Secretariat – Invitation from the Commissioner (11/11/22) – BSAC input (06/12/22) – Response from the Commission, F. Donatella (16/12/22) – BSAC ExCom Chair follow-up letter (31/01/23)	06/12/22
BSAC recommendation on BALTFISH Presidency Work Plan	Sent date:18/11/2022 \| Reply date: BSAC Recommendation on BALTFISH Presidency Work Plan	18/11/22
BSAC recommendations on western Baltic herring	Sent date:28/10/2022 \| Reply date:18/11/2022 BSAC recommendation on western Baltic Herring, in response to the Commission invitation to provide further explanations. It has been proposed and drafted by the Pelagic WG and approved by writing by the BSAC Executive Committee. Letter Reply from the Commission	28/10/22	BSAC letter COM reply
BSAC letter to BALTFISH on derogation from landing obligation for salmon draft Joint Recommendation	Sent date:27/10/2022 \| Reply date: BSAC was consulted by BALTFISH to provide comments on the draft Joint Recommendation regarding a derogation from the landing obligation in the Baltic Sea establishing a discard plan as regards salmon in the Baltic Sea (ICES Subdivisions 22-32). The BSAC sent a letter The BSAC attached input received from 9 members organisations	27/10/22
BSAC response to COM “Towards more sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play & orientations 2023”	Sent date:31/08/2022 \| Reply date: Commission’s consultation on the Communication to the European Parliament and the Council “Towards more sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2023”.- Communication: COM(2022) 253 final – Accompanying document: SWD(2022) 157 final – BSAC response to the communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council: “Towards more sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2023”	31/08/22
BSAC recommendations for the fisheries 2023	Sent date:13/07/2022 \| Reply date:20/07/2022 Letter from the ExCom Chair to DG Mare BSAC recommendations BSAC recommendation – revised14/07/2022 European Commission answer	13/07/22
BSAC recommendations on management measures for eel	Sent date:05/05/2022 \| Reply date: The European Commission is seeking the advice of the BSAC members on how best to implement the ICES advice for eel The BSAC letter and advice are here Click	05/05/22
BALTFISH draft Joint Recommendation on derogation of plaice from the landing obligation	Sent date:25/04/2022 \| Reply date: BALTFISH consulted the BSAC on its draft Joint Recommendation derogating plaice from the Landing Obligation in the Baltic Sea The BSAC sent a letter Click The BSAC attached input from DFPO, CCB and Fisheries Secretariat Click The BSAC attached a reply from LIFE Click The BSAC attached a reply from Assocation of Fisheries Protection Click	25/04/22