Commission: Council decision is good for Baltic cod

The European Commission has welcomed the agreement reached yesterday by the Council of Fisheries Ministers meeting in Luxembourg on fishing opportunities for 2008 in the Baltic Sea. On the two key cod stocks, which have been in poor biological condition for many years, ministers agreed a combination of cuts in total allowable catches (TACs) and days at sea (fishing effort) which should ensure both more sustainable fisheries and better application of the rules. For Eastern Baltic cod, the TAC will be cut by 5% to 38 765 tonnes, while days at sea are reduced by 20% to 178 days. For Western Baltic cod, the TAC will be reduced by 28% to 19 221 tonnes, while days at sea are cut by 10% to 223 days.

European Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Joe Borg commented: "This is a balanced agreement, which respects the scientific advice we have received, and paves the way for the full implementation of the management plan agreed by Council in June. I am convinced that progress is now possible if all the parties cooperate together to promote greater respect of the rules, in particular through joint inspection missions. That way, fishermen will know that when they apply the rules, the others are doing just the same as them."

The reduction in the number of days at sea will facilitate better control in a fishery which has suffered from substantial underreporting of catches in the past. The Community Fisheries Control Agency (CFCA) will take the lead next year in organising joint inspection activities in the Baltic, bringing together inspectors from all the Member States involved in the cod fishery.

As regards other key stocks, Council agreed to reduce the TAC for Atlantic salmon by 15% in 2008. The TAC for sprat remains unchanged, while that for the herring in the central basin (the largest herring stock in the Baltic) will be increased by 15% in recognition of the stock’s strong biological condition. Full details of fishing opportunities in the Baltic for 2008 can be found in the table attached.