The Danish minister of fisheries, Mogens Jensen, has stated that he will discuss the future framework of Baltic fishing with fishery organizations and other stakeholders this fall, in light of the critical situation for Baltic cod and herring stocks.
If successful, the plan is that the fishery framework will be in place by next summer.
”We need a broad dialogue on how we see the framework for future fisheries in the Baltic Sea, and a debate on how we want this fishery to develop,” said Jensen in a press statement. The minister added that pollution and seal management would also be under discussion due to the adverse effect each can have on regional fishery stocks.
According to a report from Denmark’s department of food and resource economics (IFRO), significant reductions have been proposed by the European Commission this year to eight different stocks, with the most significant changes applying to Eastern Baltic cod (92%), western herring (71%), West Baltic cod (68%), and plaice (32%).
Danish fishermen are likely to lose between 16-21% of their landing value on catches in the Baltic if the quotas for herring and cod are significantly reduced by 2020. This would correspond to between DKK 45 and 59 million ($6.6 to $8.6m) for next year, or approximately one-fifth of their income, IFRO said.
Adapting to the quota changes will be particularly difficult for vessels under 15 meters –the majority of the Baltic fleet — and Jensen said a compensation scheme would be discussed to help those fishermen most adversely affected.
”The fishermen’s opportunities lie in rescheduling their fisheries, but this can be difficult especially for the smaller vessels,” Jensen added. ”We have to think differently, because overall we are now in a situation where fishing does not seem to be able to continue as before. This is a real crisis for fishing in the Baltic Sea.”
Lähde: Undercurrent News/ SFPO 10.10.2019
