PlanetArk 9 Sep 08;
BRUSSELS - Fishermen in the Baltic Sea will have to cut their catches next year if overtrawled species like cod, herring and salmon are to stand a chance of survival in those waters, the European Commission said on Monday.
For nearly all species that are subject to annual quotas, the Commission recommends cutting 2009 catches by 15 percent from this year. But for one, cod in the eastern Baltic, it says fish numbers have recovered enough for a 15 percent quota rise.
Last year, scientists advised that eastern Baltic cod had been overfished to the point where it might vanish from the area, and recommended an outright fishing ban.
After a lot of haggling, EU ministers managed to set a quota cut of 6 percent for 2008 but offset that concession by agreeing that vessels would have to tie up at ports for longer periods.
"When the recovery plan for Baltic cod was put in place last year, scientists were warning that the eastern cod stock was on the verge of collapse," EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg said.
EU fish recovery plans normally combine management of catch volumes with restrictions in the number of days that vessels may spend at sea trawling for fish, spread over several years.
"By applying that plan, we have been able to turn this situation around, and that stock is beginning to grow again. This is a very encouraging sign," Borg said in a statement.
Catches of salmon, sprat and plaice in Baltic waters should be cut by 15 percent from this year, the Commission said.
Scientists warn that salmon has become a concern in Baltic waters due to a very low survival rate of young fish, meaning that adult salmon numbers may decline in the next few years.
Herring was also a problem, especially the stock in the western Baltic where fish intermingle with already depleted numbers of herring in the North Sea, it said, proposing a massive quota reduction of 63 percent for next year.
EU fisheries ministers will discuss the Commission's quota proposals at their next meeting in October in Luxembourg. (Reporting by Jeremy Smith; Editing by Catherine Evans)
