News -

Eastern Baltic cod: Fisheries Ministers urged to implement emergency measures

Baltic NGOs have today written to all Baltic EU Members states urging them to introduce emergency measures to protect the eastern Baltic cod stock in accordance with Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) rules.

On 5th April the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) published its eastern Baltic cod benchmark report which indicates that the stock is in a critical state. There is clear evidence of increased natural mortality, reduced growth and reduced reproductive capacity resulting in an impaired recruitment. ICES’ conclusions suggest that even with no fishing at all, the stock would remain in a critical condition.

The NGOs write that “the stock has been deteriorating for many years and new scientific evidence now confirms the stock is in a critical state”. In addition, “the CFP includes a legally binding objective to end overfishing by 2015 where possible, and by 2020 at the latest. Yet, despite this requirement, the EU Council of ministers has set the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for eastern Baltic cod exceeding scientific advice each year since 2013.”

And concludes “All of the available scientific evidence points to a stock that is in a critical state, and we urge you to move forward now with preparing national emergency measures using the CFP Basic Regulation”.

The following EU Ministers received the letter:

Denmark: Ms. Eva Kjer Hansen - Minister for Fisheries and Equal Opportunities and Minister for Nordic Cooperation

Estonia: Mr. Tarmo Tamm - Minister for Rural Affairs

Finland: Mr. Jari Leppä - Minister of Agriculture and Forestry

Germany: Ms. Julia Klöckner - Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture

Latvia: Mr. Kaspars Gerhards - Ministry of Agriculture

Lithuania: Mr. Giedrius Surplys - Minister of Agriculture

Poland: Mr. Marek Grobarczyk - Minister of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation

Sweden: Ms. Jennie Nilsson - Minister for Rural Affairs

www.fishsec.org

Related links

Topics

  • Agriculture, fishing

Related content

  • Rescue plan for Baltic cod shall be based on the latest research

    FishSec is starting a two-year project to aid the recovery of the collapsed cod stock in the Baltic Sea. As part of the Return of the Cod project, which is part-funded by the Postcode Foundation, FishSec will develop proposals for a rescue plan for Baltic cod and analyze the potential socio-economic effects of proposed measures.

  • Press release: NGOs urge EP to push for full implementation of the CFP

    Brussels 16 March 2022: Ahead of the European Parliament’s public hearing on the implementation and future perspectives of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) tomorrow, NGOs are calling on EU institutions and Member States to better follow and enforce the rules of the policy, rather than considering any reform at this stage.
    Vera Coelho, Senior Director of Advocacy at Oceana in Europe, said “The

  • The collapse of Baltic cod

    A Baltic catch in 1987. The photo above was taken in March 1987 during a three week research expedition in the Baltic, carried out by the Danish research vessel R/V DANA. One of the researchers on board was Ph.D. Eero Aro – the man you see in the photo hugging a 22 kg large female cod caught in the Southern part of the Baltic in the Polish fishing grounds Slupsk Furrow.

  • Bottom trawling releases as much carbon dioxide as air traffic

    Demersal trawling cause as much carbon dioxide emissions as air traffic, according to a new study. When the trawls are dragged along the sea floor large amounts of carbon is released, which increases global warming and makes the sea more acidic.

  • More fish in Swedish lakes, marine populations in decline

    Catches of marine fish species such as herring, saithe and nephrops should be reduced, and cod in the Kattegat and the eastern Baltic Sea should not be fished at all. But several freshwater fish species are increasing in numbers, according to a report from Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU.

  • Danish fishers and conservationists jointly propose marine reserves

    After months of negotiations, the Danish Society for Nature Conservation, DN, and the Danish Fishermen Producer Organisation, DFPO, present a historical proposal for ensuring a significant protection of the Danish sea. The proposal will ensure 10 percent untouched sea - no take Marine Protected Areas - in the North Sea, the Skagerrak, and the Baltic Sea, and is now handed over to the government.

Enter your email address to follow FishSec - Return of the Cod

When you choose to create a user account and follow a newsroom your personal data will be used by us and the owner of the newsroom, for you to receive news and updates according to your subscription settings.

To learn more about this, please read our Privacy Policy, which applies to our use of your personal data, and our Privacy Policy for Contacts, which applies to the use of your personal data by the owner of the newsroom you follow.

Please note that our Terms of Use apply to all use of our services.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by unsubscribing or deleting your account.
Check your inbox

Email sent to __email__. Click the link there to follow FishSec - Return of the Cod.

Okay