Can EU Baltic fisheries ministers navigate fisheries management to support the recovery of Baltic fish stocks?

It’s time for the EU’s Baltic fisheries ministers to acknowledge the critical state of Baltic fish stocks in the wake of the EU Commission’s 2024 proposal on Baltic fishing opportunities and to work toward a long-term recovery of Baltic fish populations.

The Baltic Sea continues to deteriorate. Multiple human-induced threats as well as specific environmental conditions are negatively affecting Baltic fish populations. Warming seawater due to the climate crisis, unsustainable fisheries practices, eutrophication and reduced salinity have all led to changes in the habitats of marine species in the unique Baltic Sea ecosystem.

The concerning state of Baltic fish stocks, which we reported on earlier, is not improving according to the latest advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). The scientific advice, published in late May this year, shows that both Baltic cod stocks are still below critical biomass levels. The status of the western herring stock, for which ICES has for many years recommended a halt to fishing and for which the AGRIFISH Council has decided to close the target fishery, has improved slightly, but is still in a critical condition. 

This year, however, ICES additionally informs of the very serious situation of two more pelagic fish stocks: central Baltic herring and Gulf of Bothnia herring. The latest scientific reports indicate that the biomass of spawning fish of central Baltic herring is also below the critical level, and the biomass of Gulf of Bothnia herring is very close to the critical level. This situation for the stocks and the provisions of the legally binding Baltic Sea multi-annual plan (Baltic MAP)¹ have been thoroughly analyzed by the European Commission. As a result, the European Commission is proposing to close the target fisheries for central herring and herring in the Gulf of Bothnia in 2024 and establish Total Allowable Catches (TACs) only for by-catch of fish from these stocks, which occur mainly within the sprat fishery.

To Johanna Fox, WWF Baltic Programme Director, the responsible course of action is clear: “In order to rebuild the central Baltic herring and Bothnian Sea herring stocks, the targeted fishing on herring should be closed, and by-catch TACs should be set at a precautionary level. Agreeing on the European Commission’s proposal is the absolute minimum expected of Baltic fisheries ministers – under no circumstances should the by-catch TACs be higher. The provisions of the Baltic Sea multi-annual plan even allow fisheries ministers to close fishing altogether in such a situation. While we acknowledge the needs of low-impact coastal fishers, we recommend granting them preferential access to limited herring by-catch TACs as an initial measure. Ultimately, high impact fishing needs to be reduced to support fish stock recovery.” 

Justyna Zajchowska, Fisheries Lead at WWF Baltic Programme says: “Our generation is witnessing the ever increasing loss of Baltic fish stocks of commercial importance. We call on the Baltic Sea Member States to agree on a long-term recovery plan for herring stocks on a regional scale. The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) regulations allow Member States to come up with such an initiative in the form of a regional Joint Recommendation. We call for proactive efforts to protect fish populations. Let’s not wait for scientific evidence of the collapse of even more cornerstone fish populations of the Baltic before acting.”

The Agriculture and Fisheries Council, AGRIFISH, where the final decisions about Baltic fishing opportunities for 2024 will be made, will be held on October 23 and 24.

Therefore, WWF Baltic Programme urges the EU Baltic fisheries ministers to:

• Respect Baltic Sea multi-annual plan (Baltic MAP) provisions, in particular, apply article 4(6) of BalticMAP when deciding on TACs for the fish stocks with higher than 5% probability of the spawning stock biomass falling below the reference point Blim².
• Set fishing limits at levels that don’t exceed those proposed by the European Commission.
• Set fishing limits in accordance with the ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management, as required by CFP, and ensure that species interactions, including food web relations, are reflected in TACs decisions. This is also critical for both herring caught in sprat fisheries, as well as cod bycatch in plaice fisheries. 
• Close the target fisheries for central herring and Gulf of Bothnia herring and set by-catch TACs for these stocks, with priority access to limited TACs for low impact, coastal fishers. All by-catch TACs should be subject to effective fisheries control.
• Begin work at the BALTFISH level on a regional long-term recovery plan for Baltic Sea herring stocks

Read our recommendations on Baltic fishing opportunities for 2024

¹ REGULATION (EU) 2016/1139 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 6 July 2016 establishing a multiannual plan for the stocks of cod, herring and sprat in the Baltic Sea and the fisheries exploiting those stocks, amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2187/2005 and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1098/2007 CL2016R1139EN0040010.0001.3bi_cp 1..1 (europa.eu)

 ² ‘Blim’ means the spawning stock biomass reference point provided in the best available scientific advice, in particular by ICES or a similar independent scientific body recognised at Union or international level, below which there may be reduced reproductive capacity.

Contacts

Hannah Griffiths Berggren
Communications officer, WWF Baltic Ecoregion Programme
hannah.griffiths.berggren@wwf.se

Justyna Zajchowska
Fisheries Lead, WWF Baltic Ecoregion Programme
jzajchowska@wwf.pl

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Footnotes:

1. REGULATION (EU) 2016/1139 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 6 July 2016 establishing a multiannual plan for the stocks of cod, herring and sprat in the Baltic Sea and the fisheries exploiting those stocks, amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2187/2005 and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1098/2007 [Baltic Sea multi-annual plan] CL2016R1139EN0040010.0001.3bi_cp 1..1 (europa.eu)
2. Baltic Sea multi-annual plan (Baltic MAP). Article 4 (6) “Fishing opportunities shall in any event be fixed in such a way as to ensure that there is less than a 5 % probability of the spawning stock biomass falling below Blim.”
3. Baltic Sea multi-annual plan (Baltic MAP). Article 5 Safeguards “1. When scientific advice indicates that for a given year the spawning biomass of any of the stocks referred to in Article 1(1) is below the MSY Btrigger, all appropriate remedial measures shall be adopted to ensure rapid return of the stock concerned to levels above those capable of producing MSY. In particular, notwithstanding Article 4(3), fishing opportunities shall be set at levels consistent with a fishing mortality that is reduced below the upper range of FMSY, taking into account the decrease in biomass. 2. When scientific advice indicates that the spawning stock biomass of any of the stocks referred to in Article 1(1) is below the Blim, further remedial measures shall be taken to ensure rapid return of the stock concerned to levels above the level capable of producing MSY. In particular, those remedial measures may include, notwithstanding Article 4(3), suspending the targeted fishery for the stock and the adequate reduction of fishing opportunities.”
4. ICES, 2023. Cod (Gadus morhua) in subdivisions 24-32, eastern Baltic stock (eastern Baltic Sea). In Report of the ICES Advisory Committee, 2023. ICES Advice 2023, cod.27.24-32. https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.advice.21820497 
5. ICES, 2023. Cod (Gadus morhua) in subdivisions 22-24, western Baltic stock (western Baltic Sea). In Report of the ICES Advisory Committee, 2023. ICES Advice 2023, cod.27.22-24. https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.advice.21820494 
6. ICES, 2023. Herring (Clupea harengus) in subdivisions 20-24, spring spawners (Skagerrak, Kattegat, and western Baltic). In Report of the ICES Advisory Committee, 2023. ICES Advice 2023, her.27.20-24. https://doi.org/10.17895/ices. advice.21907944 
7. ICES. 2023. Herring (Clupea harengus) in subdivisions 30 and 31 (Gulf of Bothnia). In Report of the ICES Advisory Committee, 2023. ICES Advice 2023, her.27.3031. https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.advice.21820521 
8. ICES. 2023. Herring (Clupea harengus) in subdivisions 25–29 and 32, excluding the Gulf of Riga (central Baltic Sea). Replacing advice provided in May 2023. In Report of the ICES Advisory Committee, 2023. ICES Advice 2023, her.27.25–2932. https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.advice.23310368