Category: Article

Get real, fisheries ministers!

The Baltic Sea, 2019. Emergency measures for eastern Baltic cod. Scientists advice again a zero quota on Western herring. Huge and long term misreporting of catches revealed in the pelagic fisheries for sprat and herring undermining science. Half of the assessed Baltic fish stocks outside safe biological limits*. Continued illegal discarding of unwanted catches. Parasites spread by seals. As a consequence of all this: an unaddressed and growing problem of overcapacity in the fishing fleet. I can make the list longer, but you get the picture.

Update on Eastern Baltic Cod

Below we provide a list of recent documents concerning Eastern Baltic Cod (EBC), with the date of publication or corresponding meeting for each document.

We think it will aid clarity and discussion to put these documents in one place online. We hope that if all stakeholders see the same documents they may more easily share a common understanding and take joint initiatives to save what can be saved of Eastern Baltic Cod.

Pelagic trawlers report false catch figures and undermine sustainable management

Baltic pelagic fisheries has massively misreported official catches, with sprat catches regularly recorded as herring – and the false reporting is not an isolated event, reports SR Kaliber, an investigative programme on Swedish national radio.

New leadership at HELCOM

The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM) has appointed a new Executive Secretary. Rüdiger Strempel, an international lawyer by training, assumed the position on 1 August 2019.

Fisheries technical measures: An important tool to reach good environmental status

The objective in the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) from 2008 is to reach Good Environmental Status (GES) by 2020 at the latest. Technical measures are a broad set of rules which govern how, where and when fishermen may fish, to ensure “the conservation of fisheries resources and the protection of marine ecosystems”. The recently … Continued

Support and criticism for EU Commission proposal for Baltic Sea fishing in 2020

Helsinki, 4 Sept 2019 – At a press conference today environmental NGOs The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, Coalition Clean Baltic and the Fisheries Secretariat welcomed the fact that the European Commission proposal for fishing opportunities for 2020 in the Baltic Sea follows scientific advice for the majority of the Baltic Sea fish stocks. However, … Continued

EU Commission proposal for Baltic Fishing Opportunities 2020 published

The EU Commission has adopted a proposal for fishing opportunities for 2020 for the Baltic Sea. The Commission press release with link to the proposal can be found here: https://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/press/baltic-sea-commission-proposal-aims-improve-long-term-sustainability-stocks_en NGOs recommendations on Baltic fishing opportunities for 2020 are available here: https://www.fishsec.org/2019/06/10/joint-ngo-recommendations-on-baltic-sea-fishing-opportunities-for-2020/ Response to Commission proposal by NGOs: Seas At Risk, Our Fish … Continued

NGOs call on EU: Lead the fight against illegal fishing in regional management

In a recent report NGOs have called on the EU to lead efforts against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in international waters managed by regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs). By promoting best practice measures the EU can lead efforts to successfully implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially target 14.4 to “effectively regulate … Continued

Op-ed: Finland can lead the EU in ending overfishing

In July, Finland assumed two important roles that could have a significant impact on the Baltic Sea, EU fish stocks and the health of the ocean globally.

Iberian sardine, a tale of poor management

In a letter to the European Commission, Spanish and Portuguese governments twelve environmental organisations have detailed the mismanagement of the Iberian sardine stock (Sardina pilchardus).