EU preferred 5 species of fish in 2017

By Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) - EU member states mostly preferred five species of fish caught in the North East Atlantic area in 2017, Eurostat revealed Tuesday on World Food Day.

While 76 percent of EU fish catches came from the North East Atlantic area, some 9 percent came from the Mediterranean and the Black Sea and 6 percent from the Eastern Central Atlantic during the same period.

The Atlantic herring made up 19 percent of the North East Atlantic catch, followed by Atlantic mackerel (12 percent) and sandeels (10 percent).

The European sprat and blue whiting jointly registered some 9 percent of fish catches in 2017, the report revealed.

Last year, the five species of fish amounted to 60 percent of EU catches in the North East Atlantic.

On World Food Day, the European Commission, following negotiations in the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on Monday, welcomed the agreement on sustainable fishing opportunities for 2019 in the Baltic Sea, the commission's report read on Tuesday.

"The parties agreed on a balanced package that will ensure sustainable fishing opportunities for 2019 in the Baltic Sea," it added.

Karmenu Vella, commissioner responsible for the environment, maritime affairs and fisheries said they had a "very productive discussion" with the ministers of the member states covering fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea.

"Next year, seven out of eight stocks for which complete scientific advice was available will be fished at sustainable levels, covering 98 percent of landings. At the same time, our decisions will mean nearly €1 billion (around $1.16 billion) worth of catches with an average gross profit margin of above 30," he said.