An event organised in Brussels by Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE) has marked five years of emergency management of Baltic fisheries designed to protect the Eastern Baltic cod stock from collapse.
Despite the emergency measures introduced by the European Commission that have been in place since 2019, there’s no sign of recovering stocks.
LIFE’s Brussels initiative last month sought to bring together decision-makers, European Commission and Member States officials, politicians, scientists, sector stakeholders and representatives from small-scale fishing communities to air concerns about how to address the ongoing critical state of Baltic cod stocks, the lack of herring and sprat prey, increased predation from seals and cormorants, the socioeconomic impacts of the extended fishery closures, and the worsening environmental conditions in the Baltic.
‘It came clear today that the failure of fisheries management is rooted in two main issues: first is the failure to seize on the potential of Article 17, so quotas still go to high-impact fishing and benefit the fishmeal industry; and secondly the process through which science provides management advice, by not using BMSY, leads to reduced fish populations, resulting in a dysfunctional ecosystem,’ said LIFE’s executive secretary Marta Cavallé, following the meeting that provided an in-depth overview of Baltic cod stock status, highlighting the shortcomings of the 2016 Baltic Multiannual Management Plan (MAP).
Industry representatives Bengt Larsson (SYEF, Sweden) and David Lange (FSK, Denmark) shared firsthand experiences of the devastating effects on small-scale fisheries and their communities. Scientific insights were provided by Rainer Froese (GEOMAR Institute), who discussed the failures of current fisheries science and management practices, emphasising the need for revised management strategies and precautionary measures.
‘Small-scale fishers, who constitute the backbone of the EU Baltic fishing fleet and workforce, deserve immediate and decisive action to remedy this situation and rescue their livelihoods from destruction,’ Marta Cavallé commented.
