The European Commission (EC) has proposed increased quotas of herring and salmon in its Baltic Sea fishing opportunities for 2018 but wants to keep the permitted catch of Western Baltic cod at the low level set for 2017 and to reduce the Eastern Baltic cod catch by 28 percent.
Western Baltic cod is an important stock for many small-scale fishermen, and has been at very low levels in recent years. For 2017, allowable catches were reduced by 56 percent to 5,597 metric tons (MT) compared to 2016, and additional measures like closure periods and limiting recreational fishing were taken. Currently, the stock is still below the threshold of biologically safe limits. The EC has therefore considered it necessary to maintain existing measures to ensure that young cod can reproduce and help rebuild the stock.
For Eastern cod, scientists advise that catches are significantly reduced as the stock remains data-limited and that they have also detected slow growth. Consequently, the Commission is following a precautionary approach and proposes a catch of 22,275 MT.
The largest proposed increase for 2018 is a 25 percent spike in the Central herring stock, which would take next year’s total allowable catch up to 238,229 MT. The EC said that responsible management of this stock has “borne fruit” in recent years, which has allowed the fishing industry to reap the rewards and offer consumers a stable supply.
However, scientific advice for Western herring revealed a significant negative change in the state of the stock and so the EC is therefore proposing a reduction of 54 percent for 2018’s catch to 12,987 MT. For herring in the Gulf of Bothnia, the Commission is proposing a reduction of 50 percent to 70,671 MT, following the plan that was agreed by EU member states and the European Parliament last year.
The scientific advice for the stable Main Basin salmon stock allows for an 11 percent increase in catches to 106,096 MT, with the EU saying that the number of returning spawners in the bloc’s rivers has reached record levels, with the Torne river now home to the world's largest salmon population.
