Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and quota management system in the European Union

The impact of the TAC and quota system, which is the corner stone of resource management and conservation policy of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), is evaluated. Particular attention is given to the situation of the North Sea demersal fisheries, in order to elucidate the effectiveness of the resource management. The TAC and quota system has not had the desired influence on the direction of economic development in the fishing industry. The system fails to achieve its principal aim, which is to maintain fish stocks and conserve the resource. In several species landings are continually decreasing, while, in addition, the measure generates a series of common practices that are incompatible with the conservation objective. Political pressures usually lead to considerable alterations of the scientistʹs recommendations, resulting in regular overestimation of the resource capacity. For the time being fisheries management in the European Union (EU) has little to gain from the use of MATACs and/or MSTACs.