Policy background The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) The management of fishing opportunities
In the management of fishing opportunities, the explicit objectives of the CFP are to ensure that fishing is environmentally, economically and socially sustainable. Under the CFP, most fish stocks in the North East Atlantic (which includes the waters around the UK) are managed using TACs, which are shared between Member States as quotas. TACs cover more than 50 species split into over 200 stocks. Currently the UK has interests in 123 of those stocks. TACs are agreed following scientific advice provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). EU Member States and other countries that fish in the North East Atlantic, such as Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Russia, contribute to this advice by providing stock assessments produced by their national scientific bodies and by submitting catch data.
	Although ICES make recommendations on the level of TAC which reflect different management scenarios consistent with sustainable management of the stock, the TAC level set is negotiated and agreed between the parties fishing the stock.