Plan om kabeljauw populatie in Baltische Zee te vergroten (en)

The Fisheries Committee is proposing amendments to a Commission plan for cod stocks in the Baltic Sea, in a report adopted on Thursday. Cod is the most important fish species in the Baltic, but its current mortality is between two and three times target levels. MEPs in the committee aim to maintain an appropriate balance between rebuilding stocks and maintaining the conditions for fishing communities to continue their activity.

The two cod stocks in the Baltic Sea are suffering from unsustainable levels of exploitation. The Eastern cod stock has declined to levels outside safe biological limits according to the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Approximately 35-45% of the cod landed in the Eastern Baltic Sea is caught illegally. The Western cod stock, although in a somewhat better state, is also exposed to very high levels of fishing.

The Commission proposes to lower quotas, reduce fisheries expenditure and increase inspections. They say this would gradually reduce the fishing effort by 50 to 75%. The total allowable catches (TACs) for cod in the Eastern Baltic would be reduced by 10% and the TACs in the Western Baltic by 6% compared to last year. If the proposal is not adopted before 30 June, a 15% reduction in the cod TACs will be applied in 2007. There would be a further 10% reduction in days at sea as compared to last year.

In its consultative report, the Fisheries Committee proposes to make the procedure for setting the size of the TACs more flexible, to bring the reduction in fishing days down from 10% to 8% and to increase the notification threshold of cod on board from 100 kg to 300 kg. Furthermore, following the line already agreed by fisheries ministers, MEPs in the committee increased the  margin of tolerance in estimating quantities of fish subject to a TAC that are retained on board from 8% to 10% of the logbook figure.

The Fisheries Committee also wants to increase the minimum size of cod caught in the Baltic Sea to 40 cm, to give the fish more time to breed and thereby strengthen the stock.

A recovery plan for the Eastern cod stock

According to MEPs in the committee, it is important to keep the division of the Baltic Sea into a Western and an Eastern zone since "they are separate ecosystems with totally different properties". Therefore the quotas need to be set for each of the two parts. For the Eastern cod stock there should be a recovery plan.

Need to monitor the socio-economic impact of the fishing restrictions

The Commission's proposal is expected to have far-reaching consequences for both Baltic cod stocks and the fishing industry. "We are talking about cod here -  a fish on which many families' livelihoods depend, "said the rapporteur, Zdzis?aw Kazimierz Chmielewski (EPP-ED, PL). The committee approved an amendment requiring the Commission to monitor the socio-economic impact, particularly on employment and the economic situation of fishermen, shipowners and firms engaged in cod fishing and processing, and to report annually to Parliament on these issues from the second year onwards.

The report was adopted with 12 votes in favour, 4 against and 3 abstentions.