News
September 4, 2015
BSAC and BALTFISH meetings: Technical measures, Baltic quotas & more
The Baltic Sea Advisory Committee (BSAC) working group and BALTFISH held back-to-back meetings in Warsaw earlier this week. Technical measures were the main agenda point for the BSAC working group. While the stalled Baltic Multiannual Plan, and an update on the newly implemented discard ban were on the agenda during the BALTFISH Forum.
September 2, 2015
Commission releases proposal for Baltic TACs
The Commission proposal for Baltic TACs in 2016 is balanced and largely in line with both ICES scientific advice and the reformed Common Fisheries Policy. However, we are concerned about the Commission’s proposal for both Baltic cod stocks.
August 13, 2015
Could fast growing species be more vulnerable to population collapse?
New publications out: i) Waiting for a flourishing Baltic cod (Gadus morhua) fishery that never comes: old truths and new perspectives and ii) Are fast growing species more vulnerable to population collapse?
July 8, 2015
Have we lost our window of opportunity to save the oceans?
A scientific paper published in Science last week warns that our “window of opportunity to save the oceans from major changes is in danger of slamming shut, bringing with it the risk that we will encounter planetary-scale tipping points in the behavior of the climate.”
July 1, 2015
Fisheries priorities under Luxembourg Presidency
Few political decisions beside the usual TAC and quota haggling are foreseen in the work programme of the Luxemburg EU Presidency for the second half of 2015.
June 30, 2015
Research news: Baltic Sea focus
New research shows that, despite an agreement two decades ago, the ecosystem approach has not yet been applied in practice in the Baltic Sea. Environmental problems are still essentially handled in isolation, despite how these affect each other and the risk that climate change could make it more difficult to reverse negative trends has not been considered.
June 26, 2015
State of Europe’s seas neither healthy nor clean
Our seas are neither healthy not clean, but can be considered productive according to the first State of Europe’s Sea report published earlier this week. This productive may however be compromised in the future if the decoration of Europe’s marine ecosystem continues. The report shows that our current way of managing our marine resources is far from sustainable.
June 25, 2015
Council blocks Baltic multiannual plan, Baltic trilogue suspended
Yesterday afternoon, after meeting an impasse concerning the proposed Baltic multiannual plan, the delegation from Parliament, led by Rapporteur Mr. Jarosław Wałęsa walked out of trilogue negotiations with Council and the Commission. Council has thus far failed to meet the objectives of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy, in particular those which prevent overfishing.
June 16, 2015
Research news
A selection of research news: i) Eastern Baltic cod in distress: biological changes and challenges for stock assessment, ii) Can marine spatial planning benefit spawning for Baltic herring?, iii) Are we letting managers off the hook? and iv) Five factors for successful management of natural capital
June 10, 2015
European Commission publishes its plan for fishing opportunities in 2016
The European Commission has published its annual communication on fishing opportunities, announcing their initial plans for next year´s fishing quotas in the EU. The communications shows that there is still a long way to go to reach the objectives of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy and the commitment to end overfishing by 2015 where possible.