As per ICES recommendations cod fishing quotas should be reduced by 20 percent based on their 2010 level. The strong recovery of North Sea cod stocks has been acknowledged by WWF but the NGO is concerned poor management of certain stocks will undermine the species’ recovery.
WWF said that recently the North Sea cod stocks have recovered to some extent due to a particularly successful breeding season in 2005 and subsequent limits on catching those fish as they’ve grown. WWF has seized upon advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES), recommending cod fishing quotas to be reduced 20 percent based on their 2010 level to restore stocks to their maximum sustainable yield.
WWF also said that the European Commission will need to follow this advice if it is to achieve its commitment of attaining maximum sustainable yield for all European fish stocks by 2015. The NGO said the cod recovery is largely thanks to the conservation measures put in place, including ‘closed’ protected areas and the use of selective fishing gear that allows cod to escape from nets while retaining other fish.
