Update on Eastern Baltic Cod

Below we provide a list of recent documents and correspondence concerning Eastern Baltic Cod (EBC), with the date of publication or corresponding meeting for each document.

We think it will aid clarity and discussion to put these documents in one place online. We hope that if all stakeholders see the same documents they may more easily share a common understanding and take joint initiatives to save what can be saved of Eastern Baltic Cod.

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In October 2019 the Baltic Sea Centre at Stockholm University published a policy brief ahead of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting on 14 October at which next year’s cod quota will be set. They recommend a continued ban on cod fishing in the southern Baltic Sea, subdivisions 24-26, for the whole year. In addition to “major reductions in the quotas for catches of herring and sprat in SD 24-26” and “significant reductions in flatfish trawling”.

On 8 October, three county governors in Sweden wrote to the government agency requesting that “the Swedish industrial pelagic fishery is not allowed in the area where cod fishing is forbidden. Within the EU, Sweden should work toward the same conditions for fishermen from other countries.”

On August 30 the European Commission published its proposal for fishing quotas for the Baltic Sea in 2020, the final decision will be taken at the Council of Ministers in October. The Commission proposal is for the EBC fishery to be closed next year with no direct fishery as well as for an undisturbed spawning season in subdivisions 25 and 26 to be in place from 1 May to 31 August during which time the proposed bycatch quota cannot be fished.

In response to the Commission proposal WWF commented “No end in sight: European Commission shows no support to ban overfishing in the Baltic region.” There was further criticism in a joint statement from Seas at Risk, Our Fish, and Oceana who describe the proposal as “a lost opportunity”. In a press release from the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, Coalition Clean Baltic and The Fisheries Secretariat the proposal was described as having “support and criticism” adding that “for eastern Baltic cod the science is clear, the stock is in crisis and so we welcome the proposal of no direct cod fishing. We also welcome the proposed spawning areas protections, which should be a key part of a comprehensive long-term rebuilding plan for both cod stocks. However we have serious concerns about the proposed bycatch TAC for eastern cod, for which no figures are yet presented”.

On August 30 in an op-ed from BalticSea2020, the foundation writes that “the fishing lobby misleads elected officials about the socio-economic importance of cod fishing”. In their article they highlight false socio-economic figures provided by lobbyists representing the large-scale segment of Swedish trawlers, highlighting the fact that there are far fewer than 200 cod fishermen in Sweden. By comparison, marine tourism and recreational fishing are of far more economic and social value, accounting for 30,000 jobs and 1.5 million participants respectively.

On July 25 the Polish Minister Marek Grobarczyk wrote a letter to Commissioner Vella in response to the Commission legislating for emergency measures in which he criticises the measure as it “will result in ineffective environmental protection and the collapse of the fishing sector.” The Minister states that “as a complementary measure it is indispensable to introduce a ban on fishing for the forage fishery in the Baltic Sea, which in a special way contributes to the destruction of the food base for cod and for other species”.

On July 23 the EU Commission approves emergency measures “to save the ailing eastern Baltic cod stock from impending collapse”. Emergency measures will ban, with immediate effect, commercial fishing for cod in most of the Baltic Sea until 31 December 2019.

On June 17 NGOs wrote to the Commission regarding the critical state of the Eastern Baltic cod stock. The NGOs provide a number of elements to be addressed in the implementation of emergency measures. They “note that spawning for eastern Baltic cod takes place right now, from May to 31st August. If action is taken quickly, i.e. measures in place by 1st July, it can have a beneficial effect on spawning and therefore on the future stock recovery.”

On June 3 the Swedish government writes in a press release that they will advocate for “a ban on fishing from the cod quota in the eastern stock during the period 1 July – 31 December 2019” in BALTFISH, the regional high level group. “During 2020, the catch quota for the same area, except for unavoidable by-catch, should be zero. In order to secure the cod’s access to food, Sweden also sees other measures need to be introduced, including the suspension of sprat and herring / herring within the geographical areas where this is scientifically justified.”

On May 29 this scientific recommendation led to renewed calls from NGOs for the EU to implement Emergency Measures with immediate effect and close the fishery. “The only sane response to the collapse of the eastern cod population is to stop all fishing now and develop a recovery plan, rather than wait for 2020”, said Nils Höglund, Fishery and marine policy officer, Coalition Clean Baltic. “With this clear advice from ICES, EU Member States must act without delay – and if they do not, the Commission must take action – there are still fish that can be saved, and spawning season is happening right now”.

On May 29 The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) published their scientific advice for Eastern Baltic cod and recommend that the fishery is closed, “there should be zero catch in 2020”.

On May 15 the German State Secretary Walter Dübner replied on behalf of Minister Julia Klöckner, stating that “given the strained state of the eastern cod, I am confident that the BALTFISH High Level Group will succeed in agreeing to appropriate measures to restore the stock”. An informal English translation can be found here.

On May 14 the Polish Minister Marek Grobarczyk wrote a letter highlighting that since 2015 he has called for “immediate remedial measures to help rebuild the stock” when it was clear that eastern Baltic cod was in a critical condition. He further highlighted the need for and benefits of closed areas that allow for undisturbed spawning. In addition Poland has implemented several national measures such as a trawling ban within 6 nautical miles of its coastline, changes to their fisheries control procedures and the introduction of fishing quotas for unregulated stocks such as sandeel that are one of the main sources of cod food. An informal English translation can be found here.

On April 26 the NGO Our Fish commented on the Danish ministers initiative saying it was “Far too little, far too late” in a press release. “The Minister’s proposal to reduce the quota by 70% is less impressive than she would have us believe – an enormous 7,233 tonnes of cod will still be fished, under the questionable auspices of ‘unavoidable by catch’, said Cathrine Pedersen Schirmer, Our Fish campaign coordinator in Denmark.

On April 25 the Danish fisheries minister Eva Kjer Hansen also reacted to the crisis in a press release. “Everything suggest that the biologist will recommend that the fishery is closed next year, but the fishery should be limited already this year”, said the minister, and continued: “Therefore I will propose that the cod quota for the eastern Baltic Sea is cut by 70 percent already this year”.

On April 24 the Lithuanian vice minister Darius Liutikas wrote “Lithuania has already initiated preparations for emergency measures….The emergency measures consist of closing fishing activities in Subdivisions 25-32 by two additional months in June and August 2019 for Lithuanian fishing vessels fishing for cod”. He added that “we are aware of the deteriorating condition of eastern Baltic cod stock…it is our national interest to protect eastern Baltic cod in a sustainable manner”.

On April 19 the Swedish agriculture and fisheries minister Jennie Nilsson and environment minister Isabella Lövin gave their view on the crisis for Eastern Baltic Cod in a debate article in morning daily Svenska Dagbladet. The article describes the dramatic decline of the stock and the many “large threats” against the cod stock, e.g. eutrophication and dead seabeds, parasites, lack of food and high fishing pressure. The government is working on “alternative course of actions that match the gravity of the situation”, including other environmental measures and seal management, that can help the stock recover, but “a full closure of the Baltic Sea cod fishery can not be ruled out”. An informal English translation can be found here.

Documents and correspondence

This article will be a living document and additional information will be added as and when it becomes available.

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Documents and correspondence