EU bans cod fishing in Baltic Seaw

The EU announced Tuesday an immediate ban on fishing cod, the staple of Britain's fish and chips, in most of the Baltic Sea in response to an impending stock collapse.

Alerted by scientists, the European Commission, which oversees the management of fish stocks in European waters, warned of "a rapid decline" in cod stock "if no action is taken".

"We must act urgently to rebuild the stock, both in the interests of fish stocks and fishermen," said European Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella in a statement.

The ban will last until December 31, the EU said.

The commission acknowledged overfishing was not the only factor threatening Baltic cod, and warned of environmental factors "including a lack of salinity, too high water temperatures and too little oxygen, as well as parasite infestation."

However, the commission said this "should not be taken as an excuse for not acting upon the factor we fully control and which over the decades has contributed to the current situation -- fisheries."

Europeche, which represents the interests of the EU fishing industry, severely criticised the ban, arguing for a "significant" reduction in quotas, "which would have taken into account both the survival of the species and the fishing fleet".

The total allowable catch for Eastern Baltic cod, or fishing quota, has been reduced each year since 2014 to just over 24,000 tonnes in 2019.

Still, the Commission warned that "fishermen have only used between 40 and 60 percent of these quotas in recent years ... probably because of the insufficient quantity of fish of commercial size."

According to Commission figures, "more than 7,000 fishing vessels from eight member states catch Eastern Baltic cod, including 182 vessels from Lithuania and Poland that depend on this stock for more than 50 percent of their catches".

Related Links
Water News - Science, Technology and Politics

Tweet

Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.

SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly

paypal only

SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once

credit card or paypal

Thirty years of unique data reveal what's really killing coral reefs
Boca Raton FL (SPX) Jul 22, 2019
Coral reefs are considered one of the most threatened ecosystems on the planet and are dying at alarming rates around the world. Scientists attribute coral bleaching and ultimately massive coral death to a number of environmental stressors, in particular, warming water temperatures due to climate change. A study published in the international journal Marine Biology, reveals what's really killing coral reefs. With 30 years of unique data from Looe Key Reef in the lower Florida Keys, researchers fro ... read more