Positions & Papers

Summary of ICES advice on Baltic stocks for 2019

June 12, 2018

On 31 May 2018, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Advisory Committee published their advice regarding the exploitation of the Baltic Sea fish stocks for 2019. Here we provide a summary and comment on the assessments and advice.

A table with the summary of the ICES advice can be found here.

Joint NGO letter to BALTFISH – spatial mangement of the sprat fishery

April 25, 2018

Nine organiations from across the Baltic region have written to BALTFISH requesting the adoption of the ICES recommendations with regards to sprat management.
For several years ICES have advised that "a spatial management plan is developed for the fisheries that catch sprat, with the aim to improve cod condition....[and] restrictions on sprat catches taken in the main cod area should be established."
Redirecting the sprat fishery away from subdivisions 25 and 26 would likely provide more food for the cod in these areas, where the cod stock is most dense however is marked by stunted growth. There are clear ecosystem interactions between sprat and cod which managers should take into account.
Spatial management of the fishery would also allow cluepids (herring and sprat) to grow larger in the more northern areas of the Baltic Sea where their population density is higher. In addition, a lower incidence of the M74 disease in salmon populations would be expected as a result of a reduced proportion sprat in their diet.
We recommend that BALTFISH adopts the recommendations for the spatial management of sprat as this would likely benefit all the main commercial stocks in the Baltic Sea.

FishSec EBFM Recommendations

June 27, 2017

FishSec has completed a set of recommendations for the implementation of ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) in the Baltic Sea region. The recommendations are based on the EBFM seminar in June 2016 that was organised by Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre, The Fisheries Secretariat (FishSec) and the International Council for Exploration of the Sea (ICES) in Stockholm.

Summary of ICES advice on Baltic stocks for 2018

June 1, 2017

On 31 May 2017, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Advisory Committee published their advice regarding the exploitation of the Baltic Sea fish stocks for 2018. Here we provide a summary and comment on the assessments and advice.

A table with the summary of the ICES advice can be found here.

Summary of ICES advice on Baltic stocks for 2017

June 1, 2016

On 31 May 2016, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Advisory Committee published their advice regarding the exploitation of the Baltic Sea fish stocks for 2017. Here we provide a summary and comment on the assessments and advice.

Briefing on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund

April 30, 2013

This briefing on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) (COM(2011)804) is aimed at MEPs who are members of the Fisheries Committee in the European Parliament. They vote on amendments to the Cadec (EPP, FR) report in July and the annex provides analysis and voting recommendations on these proposals.

It is our view that the EMFF is a limited fund of public money that should be used to support the implementation of a CFP that:

• ends overfishing by restoring to and maintaining fish stocks at healthy levels;
• provides incentives for environmentally sustainable fishing practices; and
• reduces damage to marine ecosystems.

OCEAN2012: Subsidies public funds for public services

June 12, 2010

OCEAN2012 would like the reformed CFP to:

• stop aid which contributes to maintaining or even increasing overcapacities, in particular all aid for the modernisation of vessels;
• stop public aid for access to fish resources;
• use money towards the creation of public goods, such as research, improved control and enforcement and the cooperation between fishermen and scientists as well as greater stakeholder involvement; and
• make information on fisheries subsidies transparent and accessible.

OCEAN2012: Transforming European fisheries

August 13, 2009

A broad CFP reform now provides an opportunity to make European fisheries economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. There is a need to finally end overfishing and destructive fishing practices, delivering fair and equitable use of resources for future generations. Here we provide a number of opportunities for change for the 2012 reform of the EU Common Fisheries Policy.

OCEAN2012: Discussion paper on the reform of the CFP

June 8, 2009

This paper responds to challenges in the previous reform, proposing a fundamentally new, principle-centred approach to fisheries management in Community waters and for the EU fleet globally. It outlines the key issues that OCEAN2012 - an alliance of organisations dedicated to transforming European Fisheries Policy to stop over-fishing, end destructive fishing practices and deliver fair and equitable use of healthy fish stocks - would like to see incorporated into a new CFP.