A revoked exemption from EU dioxin rules would have hard repercussions on fisheries along Sweden’s northern coast and threaten its traditional fermented herring (surströmming) industry, a government study shows.
Along with Finland, Sweden has had a dispensation from the EU rules on dioxin content in fat fish. One reason for most notably salmon and herring exceeding the dioxin concentration limits has been emissions into the Baltic from the prolific paper and pulp industries in Finland and Northern Sweden.
That concentration has shown no signs of going down – on the contrary, the current good state of some of the stocks may make the problem worse, as older specimen are likely to have accumulated larger dioxin concentrations, and their share in the stock goes up when the mortality is low.
A Swedish argument to the Commission so far has been that the National Food Administration has been efficient in advising consumers – primarily pregnant women – on how often they can eat fat fish from the Baltic.
The dispensation expires by the end of this year, and the Swedish government has asked both the Board of Fisheries and the National Food Administration to study the implications of a revoked exemption.
The Food agency has said that, from a national health perspective, it would be better to adhere to the stricter EU limits in the future, and a recently published study from the Board of Fisheries analysed the possible effects for, most importantly, those some 160 remaining fisheries, mostly mixed fisheries, along the northern Swedish (Norrland) coast.
New adherence to the EU rules would mean “considerable adaptation or comprehensive closedowns” for a regional sector that has sharply diminished lately, the report warns.
It also foresees great hardships for the local “surströmming” industry, a traditional dish of fermented herring that is much treasured locally in southern and central Norrland, while other Swedes are often scared off by the foul smell of rot.
The fact that the EU limit only concerns herring over 17 centimetres is not of much help, since the surströmming canning industry uses fish of greater size.
The Swedish government will make a decision later this year whether or not to ask the Commission for a prolonged, or even permanent, exemption.