24/10/2011
The EU member states agreed on the maximum quantities of fish (total allowable catches) and allocations to member states (quotas) from certain fish stocks that can be caught in the Baltic Sea in 2012. They also defined fishing effort limits for Baltic cod stocks for the same period.
"This is a very emotional point, as always", said Marek Sawicki, Minister for Rural Development of Poland, who presided the meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Luxembourg on 21 October. "This has to be very balanced, because on the one hand side we have to protect the stocks of the Baltic Sea, and on the other – we have to make sure that the interests of the member states are provided for. This was a very difficult compromise," said Mr Sawicki.
According to the agreement reached, in 2012 the total allowable catches (TACs) for eastern and western Baltic cod will be increased by 15% and 13% respectively, because the long-term management plan for this species (implemented since 2008) has helped to bring it back to sustainable levels and the stocks have recovered .
The TACs for herring will be increased by 2% for the Gulf of Bothnia. However, according to the available scientific data, the stocks in the remaining part of the Eastern Baltic and in the Gulf of Riga have not yet sufficiently recovered. The TACs for these areas will therefore be reduced (compared with last year's quotas) by 27% and 16% respectively.
The situation of the Baltic salmon stock in this region, according to scientific data, requires immediate action, and the member states agreed that the TAC in the main basin be reduced by 51% compared with last year's quotas and remain the same as last year for the Gulf of Finland stock. Some member states thought the initially proposed reduction was excessive and did not take into account fishing in inland waters.
The TAC for sprat will be reduced by 22%, to 225.237 tonnes.
The member states did not agree with the proposed precautionary reduction of TACs for plaice stock by 25% on the grounds that there is no sufficient scientific data to identify the proper catch level. It has been agreed instead to reduce the TAC by 5% until more accurate scientific data is available, in order to avoid the negative impact on the interests of the fishermen.
These fisheries should be open on 1 January 2012.
More information:
Press release (pdf)
Press conference webcast