Scientists from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) announced today that the situation for the cod stock continues to be problematic. The advice from ICES shows that the cod stock is overfished in almost all EU waters due to high levels of discards and overexploitation.
According to ICES, the situation for the cod stock in the Kattegat continues to be difficult. The Spawning Stock Biomass (SSB) trend indicates a fivefold decrease since 1970 and SSB has been at a historically low level since the early 2000s. The recruitment has steadily declined since 1970 and has in recent years been the lowest in the time-series. Based on the current perceptions of the stock abundance and recruitment, ICES repeats the advice of last year, i.e. there should be no catches of this stock in 2009.
ICES concludes that the present management measures are not effective in regulating catches of this stock. Information indicates that removals from the stock are substantially higher than most reported landings and that the mismatch between TAC/official landings and the total removals has increased in the most recent years. In addition to a more effective control-system, ICES suggests restrictions in the form of closed areas, closed seasons, and the introduction of more selective trawls with low catchability on cod.
The cod stock in the Skagerrak, the North Sea and the Eastern Channel shows a similar tendency. Based on the most recent estimate of SSB (in 2008) and fishing mortality (in 2007), ICES classifies the stock as suffering reduced reproductive capacity. Since the existing recovery plan is not considered to be in accordance with the precautionary approach, ICES recommends that the fisheries for cod be closed until an initial recovery of the cod SSB has been proven.
The 2007 ICES advice also noted that if the total mortality resulting from fishing were reduced to low levels, the SSB would rebuild rapidly. Whilst human consumption fishing mortality declined in 2007, discarding has increased and is at a level equivalent to the landings. ICES considers it necessary to reduce mortality especially on younger ages of cod, to allow more fish to reach maturity and increase the probability of good recruitment.
The final decision on the quotas is expected at the EU Fisheries Council in December, based on a proposal presented by the European Commission.