News
October 11, 2017
2018 Baltic TACs decided
After the longest negotiation in a decade the EU Member States reached a compromise on Baltic fishing quotas, early morning on 10 October. Baltic Cod will continue to be overfished next year compared to ICES advice. Fishing for the critically endangered European eel continues, but an EU-wide prohibition will be discussed ahead of the December council.
October 8, 2017
Managing Baltic Cod – when will Baltfish and EU Council start using the tools made available by the 2013 reform?
Today, Sunday 8 October, the Baltfish high-level group of civil servants will sit down and carve out the regional political compromise that will form he basis for fisheries ministers decision on Baltic Sea fishing qutoas 2018. The final decisions will be taken at the Agrifish council, 9-10 October. But any compromise made in Baltfish is very unlikely changed by the Council. But are Baltfish recommendations, and thus de-facto decisions on quotas, based on - or even consider - all relevant Articles of the Common Fisheries Policy?
October 7, 2017
Salmon management plan – the end of the beginning
A proposal and recommendations developed by the Finnish Ministry on behalf of Baltfish for the salmon management plan, which has been stalled since 2012, was presented at the latest BSAC ecosystem based management working group.
October 3, 2017
Government blames Danish fishing industry for landing obligation failure
Already in 2009 the Danish government shouldered the responsibility of eradicating discards in the Baltic Sea through a flagship project under the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSBSR. Eight years later Denmark is blaming its own fishing industry for the failure to stop the continued discards, a practice that has been illegal since 2015.
October 2, 2017
New report highlights Danish and German failures in Baltic Sea fisheries management
A recent briefing highlights environmental failure and missed socio-economic opportunities by the Danish and German governments.
September 26, 2017
Advisory Council membership amended
The Commission have published an amendment to the delegated act on the Advisory Councils.
September 14, 2017
Eel no longer order of the day as Danish Presidency of Baltfish begins
Protecting endangered eel by prohibiting fishing as well as discussions on quotas, including cod, dominated the Baltfish agenda as the regional fisheries management body for the Baltic Sea began its eighth year of work in Copenhagen, with Denmark the final country to host the rotating annual Presidency.
August 29, 2017
Commission Baltic proposals: Roll over western cod quota but ban eel fishing
Ahead of the October Council, the European Commission has made it's proposal for the 2018 quotas in the Baltic Sea.
August 24, 2017
Return of M74 syndrome in Baltic salmon strengthens the case for spatial management of sprat
Over the past year there has been a significant increase in the M74 syndrome which has blighted salmon stocks in the Baltic Sea. This reproductive disorder is known to occur more often when sprat forms too large a part of the salmon diet.
June 27, 2017
Recommendations to implement EBFM in the Baltic Sea
FishSec has completed a set of recommendations for the implementation of ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) in the Baltic Sea region.