Danish Minister of Fisheries Esben Lunde Larsen used his facebook page to announce the results of negotiations with the Council of Ministers that give the Danish fleet 13,000 tonnes of sandeel instead of the originally proposed 5000 tonnes on the Dogger Bank.
The sector has breathed a sigh of relief, for the moment, and once this amount has been caught in May, the final TAC for the year can be decided.
One of Denmark’s main fishmeal producers, FF Skagen, has already warned that a low sandeel quota could endanger jobs along the west coast of the country, as an end to fishing means not only an end to production but has knock-on effects for the whole community as boats no longer buy fuel or stores, investment drops and people have less income to spend.
FF Skagen chairman Jens Borup commented that biologists appear to lack understanding of sandeel populations, much to the frustration of fishing community.
