The European Commission (EC) has proposed new fishing opportunities in the region of Baltic Sea for 2012.
After consultation with the eminent scientists the European Commission has proposed to raise the TACs (total allowable catches) for both stocks of Baltic cod as well as for two stocks of herring (Western and the Gulf of Bothnia). Decreases for the remaining stocks, in particular salmon, are deemed necessary, given the poor state of the fish stocks in question.
In its proposal the Commission also recommends to limit the number of days at sea for fishing vessels, to the levels established last year. The main aim of the proposals is to make fisheries in the Baltic Sea environmentally and economically sustainable by following the recommendations of scientists. European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Maria Damanaki, said that this proposal takes care of the Baltic Sea fish stocks to preserve them for the benefit of current and future generations.
She further said that the Commission is trying to manage them in a responsible manner in line with the principles of its reform. The Commission’s proposal follows scientific advice from the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee on Fisheries (STECF) and from International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES).
The EC has consulted the Baltic Sea Regional Advisory Council (BSRAC) on this proposal. The present proposal shall be discussed by the member states’ ministers at the October Fisheries Council.
