In an open letter, scientists Sidney J. Holt and Rainer Froese criticise the European Council, Parliament and Commission for not following their own policies, and setting Baltic fishing limits above FMSY.
Two respected fisheries scientists, Dr Sidney Holt (former Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission) and Dr Rainer Froese (Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research) have expressed their concern over recent EU decisions to set fishing limits higher than levels agreed in the reformed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
In their letter and comment dated 4 November, Holt and Froese express disappointment to see the EU authorities setting Baltic fishing limits which ‘will impede a speedy recovery of the mostly depleted stocks, with a high risk of collapse for the western Baltic cod [stocks], which will be fished in 2016 at more than twice the FMSY rate.’ They note that the EU institutions are violating a core tenant of the CFP, that of setting fishing limits, or the ‘fishing mortality rate (F), less than that required to provide Maximum Sustainable Yields’ (F<FMSY).
Concerning the draft Baltic multiannual plan, the first of its kind drafted under the reformed CFP, Holt and Froese criticize the Council and Commission’s proposal to incorporate a range of exploitation rates that exceed FMSY. Outside of extraordinary circumstances of a transitional nature, and only until 2020, setting a fishing mortality rate at or above FMSY is not permitted. The authors argue that over 90 % of maximum sustainable yields can be achieved by F values significantly under FMSY, according to Holt’s calculations.
The authors fear a cascade effect in other multiannual plans being developed given the apparent disregard for the core principles of the CFP in the draft Baltic multiannual plan and recent decisions on Baltic fishing quotas.