News

Small shrimps suspected to be discarded in Swedish waters

Published on November 13, 2014

The coordinating agency for Swedish fisheries inspection, the Swedish Agency for Marine Water Management, reports suspected discarding of small shrimps to the Swedish Prosecution Authority.

In February this year, the Swedish Agency for Water Management, SwAM, together with the Swedish Coast Guard was instructed to develop a joint inspections strategy for the Swedish shrimp fishery. The work steamed from advice from ICES who had reported that discarding of small Northern Shrimps and particularly within the Swedish fishery might take place.

The Swedish coast guards had not detected any violations to the shrimp discard ban in previous years, neither during inspections at sea nor on landings. Although ICES have estimated discarding to within the Swedish shrimp fishery to be 18-31% between the years 2011 and 2013.

Following the development of the new joint inspection strategy, the latest monitoring of the fishery by the Swedish coast guards has resulted in observation and documentation of suspected discarding of small shrimps. Thus the fisheries have violated national fishing laws as well as EU regulations.

Ingemar Berglund, director for the Department of Fisheries Management at SwAM said “This is a serious infringement in that the illegal discarding of small shrimp counteracts the long-term, sustainable utilisation of the shrimp stock” and continued “this is the first time in which suspected violations on the ban of discarding shrimp could be documented. We have reflected on the different ways in which to proceed and believe it’s now time to hand the matter over for legal examination”.

SwAM, being the coordinating agency for fisheries inspection, has reported the suspected discarding of small shrimps to the Swedish Prosecution Authority.