A study published today suggests that Baltic cod caught near shore in the Stone Age were much larger than those harvested by trawlers in 21 century. The study called ‘Prehistoric vs. modern Baltic Sea cod fisheries: observations across the millennia’ was carried out by Karin Limburg at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) … Continued
The Guardian recently published the footage of a vessel sighted while openly discarding more than 5,000 kg of cod and other dead white fish, or nearly 80% of its catch. Discarding of unwanted catch of is one of the most serious threats to sustainable management of fish stocks. The incident was documented by the Norwegian … Continued
Klub Gaja presents the story of the Gold Fish, a creative happening which illustrates the problems associated with overfishing. The event, which can be seen on the Internet, is part of a larger project which focuses on the protection of threatened fish species, such as cod and salmon. It is based upon the tale The Little … Continued
A recently published study by researchers at the Swedish Board of Fisheries among others, suggests a link between the reduced size of the cod population and the increase in algal blooms in the Baltic Sea. Using field data collected during a 33-year period, the researchers conclude that the dramatic reduction of the cod population has … Continued
An educational exhibition showing the environmental problems associated with cod fishing in the Baltic Sea, the management of fish resources and the issue of illegal fishing, is touring the coast of Poland. The exhibition aims at informing the Polish public about the declining cod stock in the Baltic as a result of overfishing and hopes … Continued
The second International “Clean Up the Baltic” initiative was organized in Poland on 16 August by Our Earth Foundation (Fundacja Nasza Ziemia). The campaign aims to draw attention to the problem of pollution in the Baltic region and to raise awareness of the consequences. A variety of activities took place in Poland; beaches as well … Continued
The Fisheries Secretariat (FISH) is looking to recruit a new staff member; a Policy Officer. The Policy Officer will take part in our work on “greening” international fisheries policy, with a focus on cod and IUU in the Baltic region.
On 15 July, the Fisheries Council adopted an emergency package to tackle the fuel crisis in the fisheries sector, providing an extra €600 million in support of the European fishing industry. According to the Commission, the current crisis in the fishing sector is caused by falling fish prices, delays in reducing the size of the … Continued
Environmental groups welcome the Fisheries Council’s decision on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fisheries, but regret that no precautionary measures to freeze the footprint of deep water fisheries have been adopted. The much debated increase in fuel subsidies was regrettably not discussed at the Fisheries Council’s meeting 23-24 June 2008. Regulation on Illegal, Unreported and … Continued
The Kattegat cod stock is estimated to be at its lowest level since 1971. The biomass of reproducing fish has been reduced by as much as 95%. There are no signs of recovery and since the year 2000 this stock has been considered by ICES to be outside of safe biological limits. This is concluded … Continued