Fisheries: Between Science and Politics | TAC Analysis

The article analyzes the process of transforming scientific recommendations into binding total allowable catches (TACs), highlighting the tension between biology and politics. The author emphasizes that although institutions such as ICES provide data based on the precautionary approach and MSY, final decisions are made within the EU Council, where science is merely one element of socio-economic negotiations. The text draws attention to the danger of "compromises" in ecology—nature does not negotiate biomass regeneration limits. It also discusses the problem of mixed fisheries and so-called choke species, where low quotas for one species can block the possibility of catching another, illustrating the complexity of ecosystem-based management in the face of rigid legal frameworks.