The Baltic Multiannual Plan (MAP) for cod, herring and sprat is a big step closer to reality following the European Parliament and Council defining their positions at meetings in April.
On 28 April, Parliament supported a strong Baltic MAP proposal, incorporating many of the key amendments and objectives passed in the Fisheries Committee a few weeks ago. In summary Parliament voted in favour of:
- Achieving, for all captured stocks, a biomass above that which can produce the Maximum Sustainable Yield, or above BMSY,
- Setting fishing exploitation rates for targeted stocks, or ‘F-Ranges,’ with the upper range to not exceed the Maximum Sustainable Yield exploitation rate (FMSY). They further noted that this exploitation rate should be 0.8 times FMSY.
- Identifying that measures should be taken to reduce fishing pressure if stocks fall below BMSY instead of a more risky Minimum Spawning Biomass as noted in the original proposal,
- Specifying that targeted fishing should cease altogether if the stocks fall to a critically low biomass called BLim, and
- Setting fishing opportunities such that the probability of the exploitation rate exceeding FMSY is under 5%.
The Council position, agreed on 20 April, is substantially weaker than Parliament’s and would produce a Baltic MAP inconsistent with CFP objectives. Fishing mortality rates incorporate the greatest possible range using an ICES-supplied metric called Fupper which can be substantially higher than FMSY,
This high exploitation rate favoured in the Council is only useful in the most extreme circumstances and only in a single species context. ICES notes on page 2 in their document ‘EU request to ICES to provide FMSY Ranges for selected North Sea and Baltic Sea stocks’ published on 31 March:
“There are considerations other than average long-term yield for fishing above or below FMSY. In a single-species context fishing above FMSY implies reduced stock biomass and this may be substantial where Fupper is much higher than FMSY. So in utilising FMSY ranges there are more advantages to fishing between FMSY and Flower than between FMSY and Fupper.”
Quite simply, this clarification from ICES means that the figure exists in a theoretical single-species context. One of the Baltic MAP’s objectives is to integrate an ecosystem-based approach, which incorporates basic ecosystem knowledge that no species exists in isolation. The Council’s consideration of such a wide range of F-values undermines the ecosystem-based approach.
Clearly, challenges still loom pending the coming trilogue where Council and Parliament will work for consensus between their positions on the Baltic MAP. Many, including the Fisheries Rapporteur, are eager to see the Baltic MAP pass before the close of the Latvian presidency on 30 June this year. ICES will release full advice on the Baltic stocks on May 29 to compliment the March advice.