The EU Commission proposed fishing quotas for nine out of the ten stocks managed by the EU in the Baltic Sea Monday, responding to dire assessments of several fisheries.
The EU executive is proposing to increase fishing opportunities for central Baltic herring (+108%) and herring in the Gulf of Riga (+10%). It proposes to decrease fishing of salmon in the main basin (-36%) and in the Gulf of Finland (-20%), as well as of sprat (-42%). Catches of plaice would remain unchanged. The Commission proposes to decrease the allocations for unavoidable by-catches of western Baltic cod (-73%), eastern Baltic cod (-68%) and western Baltic herring (-50%).
The Commission says the proposed TACs are based on the best available scientific advice from the International Council on the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) and follow the Baltic Sea multiannual management plan adopted in 2016 by the European Parliament and the Council.
For eastern Baltic cod, the Commission intends to keep a catch limit for unavoidable by-catches and all the accompanying measures in place already for several years. However, since the stock continues to be in a bad condition, the by-catch limit should be adjusted to the actual needs. Despite the measures taken since 2019, when scientists first warned about the poor status of cod, the situation has not improved.
The situation is similar for western Baltic cod. The Commission therefore proposes to adjust the by-catch TAC to actual needs, and to keep all the accompanying measures.
The stock size of western Baltic herring remains significantly below minimum levels. The Commission proposes removing the exemption for small-scale coastal fisheries and adjusting the TAC to unavoidable by-catches only.
The stock size of central Baltic herring has increased above the minimum level since last year, the Commission proposes a cautious approach and will not propose to increase the TAC up to the maximum level included in the ICES advice. Herring in the Gulf of Riga is healthy, and the Commission proposes to set the catch limits according to the maximum recommended by ICES.
For plaice, scientific advice would allow for a considerable increase, but the Commission remains cautious, mainly to protect cod – which is an unavoidable by-catch when fishing for plaice.
The status of the different river salmon populations in the Baltic main basin varies considerably, with some remaining weak and others healthy. The Commission is now proposing to ban recreational fishing for reared salmon, which unavoidably also causes the death of wild salmon.
EU states will take a final decision to determine the maximum quantities of the most important commercial fish species that can be caught in the Baltic Sea basin. The Council will examine the Commission’s proposal with a view to adopting it during its meeting on 21-22 October.
Proposal fishing opportunities Baltic Sea 2025
Questions and Answers on Fishing Opportunities in the Baltic Sea in 2025
