Although the greying stock of Swedish professional fishermen is in serious need of rejuvenation, the Board of Fisheries approves only a handful of new licenses each year, a newsletter from the authority reports.
“It’s got nothing to do with the job market – primarily it’s a question of what the fishing resources can endure”, says Patrik Persson, head of the Board’s Access Unit.
Sweden today has less than 1,700 professional fishermen, of an average age of 57, which is rising.
There is a particular need for recruiting new and younger fishermen in southern Sweden and along the coast in the north, Persson points out, adding however that “we can’t approve new licenses when the stocks can’t admit it”.
There were 42 new licenses issued in 2009, while 11 applications were denied, mostly for those biological reasons.
Because of prevailing overcapacity, a long line of fisheries are in practice closed for newcomers, e.g. cod, eel, vendace trawling (Coregonus albula) and Norwegian lobster by trap or trawl.
On the other hand, the Board says it treats favourably submissions from applicants who have some experience in the field, to female fishers, to younger candidates, and to those living in regions with few or no other fishermen.