Germany has been systematically ignoring scientific advice on fishing quotas and is consequently putting fragile Baltic Sea stocks at risk, a new report co-authored by Our Fish and the New Economics Foundation claims.
The report, “Germany’s blind-spot for sustainable fisheries,” suggests that in continuing to overfish in these Northern European waters, the country is delaying potentially large environmental, social, and economic benefits for its coastal communities that would come from regaining healthy stock levels. With federal elections taking place on 24 September, it also outlines ways in which the incoming German government can address the problem and bring the country into line with European fisheries law.
Activists welcomed delegates arriving at the Baltic Sea quota meetings in Copenhagen dressed up with cod costumes.
Environmental organizations in Copenhagen urged officials at the BALTFISH event held this week to discuss fishing quotas in the Baltic Sea to end overfishing and avoid pandering on demands of big businesses.
Activists supporting the Our Fish campaign dressed up in cod costumes to meet delegates attending the discussions at the Danish Agrifish Agency.
In addition, campaign leaders complained that the discussions are held “behind closed doors,” while asking officials to stop “endorsing overfishing.”
“Recent scandals about mismanagement of the Danish system for distribution of fishing rights by the Ministry for Food and Environment, confirm a tendency to prioritize the interests of a
few powerful players in the fishing industry,” said Magnus Eckeskog, oceans campaigner at Greenpeace.
“We urge the new Fisheries Minister Karen Ellemann to start restoring Denmark’s broken reputation by fighting to combat overfishing instead of feeding it.”
Copenhagen, 31 August 2017: As the BALTFISH meeting to discuss Baltic Sea fishing quotas opened today in Copenhagen, environmental organisations urged government officials to avoid pandering to the demands of big business and instead focus on applying EU fisheries law and ending overfishing [1].
As delegates arrived at the meeting at the Danish Agrifish Agency they were greeted by supporters of the Our Fish campaign dressed in cod costumes, displaying a banner that calls on on Baltic governments to “Stop Overfishing”.
“While the BALTFISH deliberations are taking place behind closed doors, European citizens, as beneficial owners of Europe’s fish stocks, have the right to demand that these fisheries are managed according to the law. Our Fish is calling on Baltic governments to stop endorsing overfishing for the benefit of big trawling interests and instead support science-based quotas that will rebuild our fish stocks”, said Our Fish Program Director Rebecca Hubbard.
BALTFISH is a regional body consisting of government representatives from the eight EU nations bordering the Baltic, and is responsible for cooperating on the development of sustainable fisheries in the Baltic Sea. Today’s meeting is key in the preparations of governments to establish a position on fishing quotas for 2018, which will be decided at the October Agrifish Council meeting in Brussels.
The Council of EU fisheries ministers set 2017 fishing limits for four out of ten Baltic fish stocks above scientific limits, including a staggering 3.5 times the scientific advice for Western Baltic Cod, despite the fact that they were teetering on the edge of commercial collapse (1,2).
On August 29th, the European Commission released a proposal for fishing opportunities in 2018 to be considered by BALTFISH and the Council of Ministers, including a ban on European eel due and a rollover of the western Baltic cod Total Allowable Catch (TAC).
“Unfortunately, recent scandals about mismanagement of the Danish system for distribution of fishing rights by the Ministry for Food and Environment, confirm a tendency to prioritize the interests of a few powerful players in the fishing industry. Not only is this a problem for the future of the fishing industry, but also for the environment, as low impact fishermen have been struggling as a result. We urge the new Fisheries Minister, Karen Ellemann, to start restoring Denmark’s broken reputation by fighting to combat overfishing instead of feeding it,” says Magnus Eckeskog, oceans campaigner at Greenpeace.
“We are grateful to the Commission for finally moving forward on safeguarding the eel. Its now up to the Baltic member states to show how they interpret the Common Fisheries Policy and scientific advice on eel, and to commit to phase out a fishery on this endandgered species. It’s a no brainer that this is also the right thing to do across all EU nations,” said Nils Hoglund, Fisheries Policy Officer Coalition Clean Baltic.
German and Danish Governments are also under intense pressure from the trawler-dominated Baltic Sea Advisory Council, who are proposing a western Baltic cod limit of 8,597 tonnes, which includes an extra 3,000 tonnes under the auspices of eastern Baltic cod mixing in the western baltic zones. Environmental NGOs, the European Anglers Association and the Latvian fishing association voted against this quota transfer in the Baltic Sea Advisory Council, as it further threatens the vulnerable western Baltic cod stock and disenfranchises eastern Baltic countries of their fisheries rights. (3)
“Given that the iconic Western Baltic cod’s population is still at the second lowest levels since the early 1980s and the Commission has acknowledged that ending overfishing sooner will deliver the highest economic and social benefits, we are shocked that they have recommended a rollover of the Total Allowable Catch for 2018 that will perpetuate overfishing of these fish stocks. (4) The European Commission and Baltic governments are reminded that EU fisheries law requires an end to the delay and obfuscation around fishing limits in order to restore all fish stocks to healthy levels in EU waters,” concluded Hubbard.
Western Baltic cod has been overfished for a number of years, so that even after a strong 2016 year class, stocks are still at the second lowest biomass levels since the early 1980s, and outside of safe limits for repopulating to a healthy state. ICES (2017), ICES Advice on fishing opportunities, catch, and effort, Baltic Sea Ecoregion. Published 31 May 2017. Cod.27.22-24
New Economics Foundation (2017), Landing the Blame – Overfishing in the Baltic 2017.
Communication from the Commission on the State of Play of the Common Fisheries Policy and Consultation on the Fishing Opportunities for 2018. COM(2017) 368 final
Contacts
Dave Walsh, Communications Advisor, dave@our.fish +34 691826764
Rebecca Hubbard, Program Director, rebecca@our.fish +34 657669425
About Our Fish
Our Fish works to ensure European member states implement the Common Fisheries Policy and achieve sustainable fish stocks in European waters.
Our Fish works with organisations and individuals across Europe to deliver a powerful and unwavering message: overfishing must be stopped, and solutions put in place that ensure Europe’s waters are fished sustainably. Our Fish demands that the Common Fisheries Policy be properly enforced, and Europe’s fisheries effectively governed.
Our Fish calls on all EU Member States to set annual fishing limits at sustainable limits based on scientific advice, and to ensure that their fishing fleets prove that they are fishing sustainably, through monitoring and full documentation of their catch.
A report published on Wednesday accuses Germany of systematically ignoring scientific advice on fishing quotas, thereby endangering fragile fish stocks in north European waters.
German over-fishing in the Baltic Sea is coming at the cost of the environment and the local economy in the area, alleges the report, titled “Germany’s blind spot for sustainable fisheries” and published by Our Fish and the New Economics Foundation.
German officials will be meeting with representatives from all EU Baltic states at BALTFISH in Copenhagen this week to discuss their position on Baltic fishing quotas for 2018.
“The German government has repeatedly supported overfishing of western Baltic cod, leading the public to believe that this is because of ‘socio-economics’,” said Our Fish Program Director Rebecca Hubbard.
“However the figures tell a different story – not only would following scientific advice for fishing quotas bring higher economic returns sooner, but the current allocation of quotas benefits destructive trawlers that have the biggest environmental impact and the smallest contribution to jobs.”
In 2013 the EU reformed its Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), with ambitious targets set for the return of fish stocks to healthy and sustainable levels ideally by 2015, but at the latest by 2020.
The policy aims to achieve these goals be introducing stringent quotas on catches. But the reformed CFP allows for countries to delay implementing the policy if quotas “would seriously jeopardize the social and economic sustainability of the fishing fleets involved.”
The report charges that Germany has exploited this clause to ensure that it has been allocated quotas which exceed the scientific advice presented to fishing ministers at an annual closed-door EU meeting on fishing quotas.
“Western Baltic Cod stocks have spent years teetering on the edge of collapse, yet Germany has consistently set fishing limits above scientific advice,” the report states.
It also dismissed Germany’s argument that job protection lies behind its defiance of quotas.
“Of Germany’s two main fishing fleets who share western Baltic cod, the small-scale low-impact sector has access to just 35% of the quota and employs 747 people, whereas the heavily damaging trawl sector has 59%, but employs one fifth the number of people,” said Hubbard.
“By setting fishing limits at sustainable levels and changing the quota allocation system to prioritize small-scale low-impact fishers, the new German government can better ensure the economic viability and ecological sustainability of coastal communities.”
København, 30. august 2017: En rapport, der udkommer i dag, undersøger Danmarks rolle i overfiskningen i EU farvande, og viser, at landet, ofte portrætteret som en grøn leder, forsinker de miljømæssige, sociale og økonomiske gevinster, der kommer af at genoprette og vedligeholde sunde fiskebestande.
Rapporten, Sådan kan Danmark gøre fiskerier bæredygtige og retfærdige, skrevet i samarbejde mellem Our Fish og New Economics Foundation, skitserer hvordan Danmarks regering kan stoppe overfiskning, adressere kvoteskandalen og komme på linje med europæisk fiskerilovgivning. Danmark kan opnå alt dette ved at sætte fangstkvoterne i henhold med vidensbaserede anbefalinger, fordele dets kvoter på en måde der fremmer miljømæssig best practice og ved at bruge national lovgivning og kvotesystemet til at støtte sårbare fiskerier med lav miljømæssig belastning under overgangen til bæredygtige niveauer.
“Den danske regering er Østersøens værste synder, når det gælder overfiskning — i 2017 toppede den listen over lande, der fisker over forskernes anbefalede grænser, mens de giver borgene det indtryk, at det er på grund af ‘socioøkonomien’. Men tallene fortæller os noget helt andet; ikke nok med at det ville give hurtigere økonomiske fordele at følge de vidensbaserede anbefalinger for fangstkvoter, så hjælper den nuværende fordeling af kvoter de destruktive trawlere, der forsager den største miljømæssige belastning og høster meget højere profitter end de små kystfiskerier med lav miljøbelastning,” siger Our Fish programdirektør Rebecca Hubbard.
De seneste kontroverser i Danmark har placeret fangstkvoter både på mediedagsordenen og i midten af dansk politi, efter tilbageholdelsen fra Folketinget af informationer vedr. muligheder for at begrænse koncentrationen af fiskekvoter resulterede i, at tidligere Minister for fiskeri Esben Lunde Larsen fik en næse (påtale) og frataget fiskeriområdet i August 2017 [1]. En nylig rapport har hertil bekræftet, at meget lidt information vedrørende kvotekoncentration eksisterer i det hele taget.[2]
Bestanden af torsk i den vestlige Østersø har i årevis været på kanten af kollaps, men alligevel har Danmark konsekvent sat fangstniveauer over vidensbaserede anbefalinger [3,4] Regeringen byder i denne uge repræsentanter fra alle Østersøregionens EU-lande velkommen i anledning af BALTFISH i København, for at diskutere fangstkvoter i Østersøen for 2018. Anbefalinger fra den trawlerindustri-dominerede Baltic Sea Advisory Council presser på for at sætte kvoterne for torsk i den vestlige Østersø mere end 3000 tons over de mest optimistiske vidensbaserede anbefalinger. [5]
“Med den seneste skandale omkring kvoteforvaltning i Danmark lader der til at være vendt et nyt blad, og åbnet for en offentlig debat omkring hvordan fangstkvoter bør forvaltes i den brede interesse,” fortsætter Hubbard. “Ligesom grænser for fiskeri bør være bæredygtige, bør de også være retfærdige. Det er nu, at den nye minister for fiskeri Karen Ellemann skal gribe chancen for både at sætte fangstkvoterne på bæredygtige niveauer og ændre systemet for kvotefordeling, så kystfiskerne med lav miljøbelastning prioriteres og deres økonomiske levedygtighed og miljømæssige bæredygtighed bedre sikres.”
Rapporten, Sådan kan Danmark gøre fiskerier bæredygtige og retfærdige, kan downloades her: http://bit.ly/DKBaltic2017dk
SLUT
NOTER:
Job-, fartøjs- og kvotetal fra tabel 1 i den udgivne rapport.
Torsk fra den vestlige Østersø er blevet overfisket i lang årrække, så selv efter et godt 2016 er bestanden stadig på sit næstlaveste biomasseniveau siden start 80’erne og udenfor sikre niveauer for at genoprette et sundt bestandniveau. ICES (2017), ICES Advice on fishing opportunities, catch, and effort, Baltic Sea Ecoregion. Udgivet 31. maj Cod.27.22-24
New Economics Foundation (2017), Landing the Blame – Overfishing in the Baltic 2017.
Our Fish arbejder for at sikre at EU medlemslande implementerer EU’s fælles fiskeripolitik og opnår bæredytige fiskebestande i europæiske farvande.
Our Fish arbejder med organisationer og individer. Our Fish bringer organisationer på tværs af Europa sammen for at bringe et stærkt og urokkeligt budskab: overfiskning i vores farvande må stoppes og løsninger sættes i stand for at sikre at Europas farvande fiskes bæredygtigt. Our Fish kræver, at EU’s fælles fiskeripolitik håndhæves korrekt, og at Europas fiskerier forvaltes effektivt.
Our Fish opfordrer alle EU medlemslande til at sætte deres årlige grænser for fangsten ved de bæredygtige grænser baseret på videnskabelige anbefalinger, og sikre sig at deres fiskeriflåde beviser, at de fisker bæredygtigt gennem kontrol og fuld fangstdokumentation.
Copenhagen, 30 August 2017: A report released today exploring Denmark’s role in overfishing within EU waters, finds that the country often portrayed as a green leader is delaying the environmental, social, and economic benefits that come from restoring and maintaining healthy fish stocks.
The report, How Denmark Can Make Fisheries Fair and Sustainable, co-authored by Our Fish and the New Economics Foundation, outlines how Denmark’s Government can end overfishing, address its quota scandal, and get in step with European fisheries law. Denmark can achieve this by setting fishing quotas according to scientific advice, allocating its fishing quota in a way that incentivises best environmental practices, and using national policy and the quota system to support vulnerable, low-impact fisheries during the transition to sustainable levels.
“The Danish government is the Baltic’s worst culprit when it comes to overfishing – in 2017, it topped the list of countries fishing above scientifically recommended limits, leading the public to believe that this is because of ‘socio-economics’. However, the figures tell a different story; not only would following scientific advice for fishing quotas bring higher economic returns sooner, but the current allocation of quotas benefits destructive trawlers that cause the biggest environmental impact while reaping significantly higher profits than low-impact coastal fishers,” said Our Fish Program Director Rebecca Hubbard.
Recent controversies in Denmark have put fishing quotas both on the news agenda and at the centre of Danish politics, after the withholding of information to Parliament on available options to limit the concentration of fishing quotas resulted in Minister Esben Lunde Larsen receiving a ‘nose’ (reprimand) and the fisheries portfolio being moved to a new Ministry in August 2017 [1]. A recent auditors’ report has also confirmed that very little information exists on quota concentration altogether [2].
Western Baltic Cod stocks have spend years teetering on the edge of collapse, yet Denmark has consistently set fishing limits above scientific advice (3,4). Danish officials will welcome representatives from all EU Baltic states at BALTFISH in Copenhagen this week to discuss their position on Baltic fishing quotas for 2018. Advice from the trawl industry-dominated Baltic Sea Advisory Council is pushing for western Baltic cod fishing quotas to be more than 3,000 tonnes above the upper end of scientific advice (5).
“With the latest scandal around quota management in Denmark, it appears that a stone has been left unturned, and discussion is now forming around how fishing quota should be managed in the public interest”, continued Hubbard. “Just as fishing limits should be sustainable, they should also be fair. Now is the time for the new Danish fisheries minister Karen Ellemann to seize the opportunity to both set fishing quotas at sustainable levels, and change the quota allocation system to prioritise low-impact coastal fishers, and better ensure their economic viability and ecological sustainability”.
The report, How Denmark Can Make Fisheries Fair and Sustainable can be downloaded from http://bit.ly/DKBaltic2017en
END
NOTES:
Jobs, vessels and quota numbers from Table 1 in the released report.
Western Baltic cod has been overfished for a number of years, so that even after a strong 2016 year class, stocks are still at the second lowest biomass levels since the early 1980s, and outside of safe limits for repopulating to a healthy state. ICES (2017), ICES Advice on fishing opportunities, catch, and effort, Baltic Sea Ecoregion. Published 31 May 2017. Cod.27.22-24
New Economics Foundation (2017), Landing the Blame – Overfishing in the Baltic 2017.
Dave Walsh, Communications Advisor, dave@our.fish +34 691826764
Rebecca Hubbard, Program Director, rebecca@our.fish +34 657669425
About Our Fish
Our Fish works to ensure European member states implement the Common Fisheries Policy and achieve sustainable fish stocks in European waters.
Our Fish works with organisations and individuals across Europe to deliver a powerful and unwavering message: overfishing must be stopped, and solutions put in place that ensure Europe’s waters are fished sustainably. Our Fish demands that the Common Fisheries Policy be properly enforced, and Europe’s fisheries effectively governed.
Our Fish calls on all EU Member States to set annual fishing limits at sustainable limits based on scientific advice, and to ensure that their fishing fleets prove that they are fishing sustainably, through monitoring and full documentation of their catch.
New document claims Germany is delaying any benefits that would come from ‘regaining healthy stocks.’
August 29th, 2017 06:08 GMT Updated August 29th, 2017 08:06 GMT
A new report by researchers from environmental organization Our Fish and the New Economics Foundation released Tuesday accuses Germany of overfishing in the Baltic Sea, and ignoring advice to reduce fishing pressure.
“The German government has repeatedly supported overfishing of western Baltic cod, leading the public to believe that this is because of ‘socio-economics,’” said Rebecca Hubbard, co-author of the Germany’s “Blind Spot for Sustainable Fisheries” report.
“However the figures tell a different story — not only would following scientific advice for fishing quotas bring higher economic returns sooner, but the current allocation of quotas benefits destructive trawlers that have the biggest environmental impact and the smallest contribution to jobs,” said Hubbard.
In addition, the report suggests large-scale fishing is damaging to artisanal fishing, which has a lower impact on the environment, and helps communities.
German officials will be meeting with EU Baltic States representatives in Copenhagen this week to discuss their position on Baltic fishing quotas for 2018.
Neuer Bericht betont Deutschlands blinden Fleck für nachhaltige Fischerei
Bonn, 28. August 2017: Trotz seines Rufs in Europa in Umweltfragen eine moralische Führungsrolle zu übernehmen, führen Deutschlands Bemühungen zur anhaltenden Überfischung der Ostsee, und verzögern damit die Verwirklichung von potenziell großen ökologischen, sozialen und wirtschaftlichen Vorteilen für seine Küstengemeinschaften, die von der Gesundung seiner Fischbestände kommen würden, argumentiert ein heute veröffentlichter Bericht.
Der Bericht, Deutschlands blinder Fleck für nachhaltige Fischerei, gemeinsam von Our Fish und der New Economics Foundation geschrieben, beschreibt, wie die kommende deutsche Regierung Überfischung beenden und seine Fischereipolitik in Einklang mit europäischem Recht bringen kann, indem sie Fangquoten nach wissenschaftlichen Empfehlungen festlegt, sowie durch die Unterstützung von kleinen, umweltschonende Fischereiflotten mit einem faireren System für die Zuteilung von Fangquoten. Bundestagswahlen finden planmäßig am 24. September statt.
“Die deutsche Regierung hat wiederholt die Überfischung des westlichen Baltischen Kabeljaus unterstützt, und die Öffentlichkeit glauben gemacht, dass dies auf Grund von sozioökonomischen Erwägungen geschehen ist. Doch die Zahlen erzählen eine andere Geschichte – nicht nur, dass das Befolgen von wissenschaftlichen Empfehlungen für Fangquoten höhere wirtschaftliche Erträge früher bringen würde, sondern auch dass die derzeitige Verteilung von Fangquoten destruktive Schleppnetztrawler bevorteilt, die die größten Umweltschäden verursachen und die wenigsten Arbeitsplätze schaffen.”, sagt Our Fish Program Director Rebecca Hubbard.
“Von den beiden wichtigsten Fischereiflotten die Deutschlands Anteil am westlichen Baltischen Kabeljau teilen, hat der kleine, umweltfreundliche Sektor nur 35% der Fangquoten und beschäftigt 747 Personen, während der umweltschädliche Schleppnetzsektor 59% hat, aber nur ein Fünftel so viele Personen beschäftigt.” (1)
“Durch die Festlegung von Fanggrenzen auf nachhaltigem Niveau und die Änderung des Systems zur Verteilung von Fangquoten um kleine, umweltfreundliche Fischereiflotten zu bevorzugen, kann die neue Bundesregierung die wirtschaftliche Lebensfähigkeit und die ökologische Nachhaltigkeit der Küstengemeinschaften besser sichern.”
Die Bestände des westlichen Baltischen Kabeljaus bewegen sich seit Jahren am Rande des Zusammenbruchs, und dennoch hat Deutschland immer wieder Fanggrenzen über dem Niveau der wissenschaftlichen Empfehlungen gesetzt (2,3). Die Beamten der deutschen Fischereibehörde treffen sich in dieser Woche mit Vertretern aller Baltischen EU Staaten bei BALTFISH in Kopenhagen, um ihre Position zu den Fangquoten für 2018 zu diskutieren. Die Empfehlung des von der Schleppnetzindustrie dominierten Ostseebeirat drängt darauf die Fangquote für dem westlichen Baltischen Kabeljau auf einem Niveau zu setzen, dass mehr als 3.000 Tonnen über den höchsten wissenschaftlichen Empfehlungen liegt. (4)
“Die kommende deutsche Regierung muss diesen blinden Fleck für eine nachhaltige Fischerei korrigieren, indem sie ihre nationale Fischereibewirtschaftung angemessen prüft. Deutschland muss dringend sein System zur Verteilung von Fangquoten reformieren falls es im Sinne der Gemeinsamen Fischereipolitik der EU handeln und eine führende Rolle beim Beenden der Überfischung in europäischen Gewässer spielen soll.”, so Hubbard.
Der Bericht, Deutschlands blinder Fleck für nachhaltige Fischerei, kann unter http://bit.ly/DEfish2017 heruntergeladen werden.
ENDNOTEN:
New Economics Foundation & Our Fish (2017), Germany’s blind spot for sustainable fisheries.
Westlicher Baltischer Kabeljau wird seit vielen Jahren überfischt, so dass Bestände sogar nach einem starken Jahr 2016 an ihrem niedrigsten Biomassevolumen seit den frühen Achtzigerjahren, und jenseits der sicheren Grenzen zur Wiederherstellung gesunder Bestände sind. ICES (2017), ICES Advice on fishing opportunities, catch, and effort, Baltic Sea Ecoregion. Published 31 May 2017. Cod.27.22-24
New Economics Foundation (2017), Landing the Blame – Overfishing in the Baltic 2017.
Dave Walsh, Communications Advisor, dave@our.fish +34 691826764
Rebecca Hubbard, Program Director, rebecca@our.fish +34 657669425
Über Our Fish
Our Fish ist aktiv um sicherzustellen, dass europäische Mitgliedsstaaten die Gemeinsame Fischereipolitik umsetzen und nachhaltige Fischbestände in europäischen Gewässern erreichen.
Our Fish arbeitet mit Organisationen und Einzelpersonen und bringt Organisationen aus ganz Europa zusammen, um eine starke und unerschütterliche Botschaft zu senden: Die Überfischung unserer Gewässer muss gestoppt, und Lösungen gefunden werden, die sicherstellen, dass Europas Gewässer nachhaltig befischt werden. Our Fish fordert, dass die Gemeinsame Fischereipolitik ordnungsgemäß implementiert wird und die Fischgründe Europas effektiv bewirtschaftet werden.
Our Fish fordert alle EU-Mitgliedstaaten auf, jährliche Fanggrenzen innerhalb wissenschaftlich bestimmter, nachhaltiger Grenzen zu setzen, und sicherzustellen, dass ihre Fischereiflotten durch Überwachung und vollständige Dokumentation ihres Fangs nachweisen, dass sie nachhaltig fischen.
Bonn, 28 August 2017: Despite its reputation as Europe’s moral leader on environmental issues, Germany’s continues overfishing in the Baltic Sea, thus delaying potentially large environmental, social, and economic benefits for its coastal communities that would come from regaining healthy fish stocks, according to a report published today.
The report, Germany’s blind-spot for sustainable fisheries, co-authored by Our Fish and the New Economics Foundation, outlines how the incoming German Government can end overfishing and get in step with European fisheries law by setting fishing quotas according to scientific advice, and by helping small-scale low-impact fishers with a fairer quota allocation system. Federal elections are due to take place on September 24th.
“The German government has repeatedly supported overfishing of western Baltic cod, leading the public to believe that this is because of ‘socio-economics’. However the figures tell a different story – not only would following scientific advice for fishing quotas bring higher economic returns sooner, but the current allocation of quotas benefits destructive trawlers that have the biggest environmental impact and the smallest contribution to jobs”, said Our Fish Program Director Rebecca Hubbard.
“Of Germany’s two main fishing fleets who share western Baltic cod, the small-scale low-impact sector has access to just 35% of the quota and employs 747 people, whereas the heavily damaging trawl sector has 59%, but employs one fifth the number of people.” (1)
“By setting fishing limits at sustainable levels and changing the quota allocation system to prioritise small-scale low-impact fishers, the new German government can better ensure the economic viability and ecological sustainability of coastal communities.”
Western Baltic Cod stocks have spent years teetering on the edge of collapse, yet Germany has consistently set fishing limits above scientific advice (2,3). German officials will be meeting with representatives from all EU Baltic states at BALTFISH in Copenhagen this week to discuss their position on Baltic fishing quotas for 2018. Advice from the trawl industry-dominated Baltic Sea Advisory Council is pushing for western Baltic cod fishing quotas to be more than 3,000 tonnes above the upper end of scientific advice (4).
“The incoming German government needs to address this blind spot for sustainable fisheries by applying proper scrutiny to its national fisheries management. Germany needs urgent reform of how it allocates fisheries quotas if it is to comply with the spirit of the EU Common Fisheries Policy and play a leading role in ending overfishing of Europe’s waters”, concluded Hubbard.
New Economics Foundation & Our Fish (2017), Germany’s blind post for sustainable fisheries.
Western Baltic cod has been overfished for a number of years, so that even after a strong 2016 year class, stocks are still at the second lowest biomass levels since the early 1980s, and outside of safe limits for repopulating to a healthy state. ICES (2017), ICES Advice on fishing opportunities, catch, and effort, Baltic Sea Ecoregion. Published 31 May 2017. Cod.27.22-24
New Economics Foundation (2017), Landing the Blame – Overfishing in the Baltic 2017.
Dave Walsh, Communications Advisor, dave@our.fish +34 691826764
Rebecca Hubbard, Program Director, rebecca@our.fish +34 657669425
About Our Fish
Our Fish works to ensure European member states implement the Common Fisheries Policy and achieve sustainable fish stocks in European waters.
Our Fish works with organisations and individuals across Europe to deliver a powerful and unwavering message: overfishing must be stopped, and solutions put in place that ensure Europe’s waters are fished sustainably. Our Fish demands that the Common Fisheries Policy be properly enforced, and Europe’s fisheries effectively governed.
Our Fish calls on all EU Member States to set annual fishing limits at sustainable limits based on scientific advice, and to ensure that their fishing fleets prove that they are fishing sustainably, through monitoring and full documentation of their catch.
