Scientists give mixed forecast for Northeast Atlantic fish stocks

Researchers issued a patchy forecast on Monday for commercial fisheries in the Northeast Atlantic, saying herring and hake stocks had rebounded somewhat but cod, sandeel, flatfish and anchovies remained at perilously low levels.

The recommendations were made by a 22-member scientific panel of the Copenhagen-based International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) in a recommendation for the European Union's executive commission.

The committee said the total admissible catch of herring could rise from 967,000 tonnes in 2006 to 1.28 million tonnes in 2007, and that of northern hake could rise from 43,900 tonnes to 50,500 tonnes.

But it recommended that catches of North Sea plaice fall from 57,000 tonnes to 32,000 tonnes and catches of North Sea sole be reduced from 17,670 tonnes to 10,800 tonnes.

Catches of sandeel, which were 300,000 tonnes this year, should be stopped in 2007 unless there are early signs of a resurgence in the species, the panel said.

In addition, catches for anchovies should be zero for 2007, and North Sea cod, for which fishing resumed this year to the tune of 26,500 tonnes, should also be off-limits, the experts said.

The report, which will be published in full on Friday (www.ices.dk), is the scientific basis for the arduously-negotiated national quotas for fishing in the North Sea and Northeast Atlantic by the 25-member EU.

"The experts came to the conclusion that the overall status of the fish stocks has not changed much from 2005 to 2006," ICES said in a press release.

"(...) There are still numerous stocks that are too heavily fished and stocks that are depleted."