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Press release: 5 Years On Emergency Becomes the Norm in the Baltic

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  Better appliance of science, fair fisheries and a Cod Recovery Plan for the Baltic are urgently needed, concludes well-attended event by Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE)  

 

Brussels, 26 June 2024 –  An event organized in Brussels by the Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE) marked 5 years since emergency measures effectively closing the cod fishery were introduced by the European Commission to save the ailing Eastern Baltic cod stock from impending collapse. The initiative brought together decision-makers, European Commission and Member States officials, politicians, scientists, sector stakeholders and representatives from small-scale fishing communities. Their shared concern was how to address the ongoing critical state of Baltic cod stocks, the lack of herring and sprat prey, increased predation from seals and cormorants, the socioeconomic impacts of the extended fishery closures, and the worsening environmental conditions in the Baltic. Despite the emergency cod closure in July 2019, there has been no sign of recovery of cod stocks, and future prospects for the fishing sector look bleak.

The meeting held in Mundo B in Brussels.

The workshop provided an in-depth overview of the Baltic cod stock status, highlighting the shortcomings of the 2016 Baltic Multiannual Management Plan (MAP). Fishers’ representatives Bengt Larsson (SYEF, Sweden) and David Lange (FSK, Denmark) shared firsthand experiences of the devastating effects on small-scale fisheries and their communities. Scientific insights were provided by Rainer Froese (GEOMAR Institute), who discussed the failures of current fisheries science and management practices, emphasising the need for revised management strategies and precautionary measures. “It came clear today that the failure of fisheries management is rooted in two main issues: first is the failure to seize on the potential of Article 17, so quotas still go to high-impact fishing and benefit the fishmeal industry; and secondly the process through which science provides management advice, by not using BMSY,  leads to reduced fish populations, resulting in a dysfunctional ecosystem. Small-scale fishers, who constitute the backbone of the EU Baltic fishing fleet and workforce, deserve immediate and decisive action to remedy this situation and rescue their livelihoods from destruction,”  stated Marta Cavallé, Executive Secretary of the Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE).

Swedish politician Isabella Lövin and SYEF representative Bengt Larsson

A dynamic panel discussion featured policymakers, experts and fishers including representatives from DG Mare, the European Parliament, Permanent Representations of the Region’s Member States and NGOs. They highlighted the need to ensure the effective implementation of existing management plans and for robust actions to be taken to improve the conditions of the Baltic marine environment. The socioeconomic consequences of the current management debacle are severe, particularly for small-scale fishers who comprise over 90% of the EU’s Baltic fishing fleet. LIFE urges ICES to rectify scientific advice by using BMSY and prioritising stock growth. The European Commission and Member States to support small-scale fishing communities through a revision of the Baltic MAP, including cod targeted recovery efforts, lower fishing pressure on cod prey and for Article 17 to be used to re-assign quotas in ways that encourage low impact fishing. 

∗ ∗ ∗

 

For more information and background reading on the Baltic Emergency, please refer to the presentations of the panellists and to the analysis and proposals provided by the Low Impact Fishers of Europe.

 

PRESENTATIONS

 

Christian Tsangarides, LIFE BANS coordinator

Bengt Larsson, Sveriges Yrkesfiskares Ekonomiska Förening (Sweden)

David Lange, FSK (Denmark)

Kurt Buchmann, University of Copenhagen

Rainer Froese, GEOMAR institute

 

Looking for cod in the Baltic

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Whither Cod: where have all the codfish gone?

 

Brussels, 28 September 2019

Brian O’Riordan

 

What are the future prospects for fisheries in the Baltic Sea following the collapse of this keystone stock?

 

The time to act is past. LIFE said this in March. We say it again.

We now live effectively in a post-cod era as far as the Eastern Baltic cod stock is concerned. The very survival of cod in the Baltic, the cornerstone for the livelihoods of thousands of fishers for centuries, is under threat.

In October last year LIFE spelled out the essential elements of an Action Plan which went unheeded (https://lifeplatform.eu/action-plan-for-eastern-baltic-cod/). In March this year LIFE called for establishing a biological rest period for the cod pre-spawning and peak spawning time, with a complete closure for all the fisheries targeting cod and pelagic species, the main food for cod, as well as all other fisheries known for significant cod by-catch risk, in subdivisions 25 and 26, between 1 May and 30 September (https://lifeplatform.eu/final-call-for-eastern-baltic-cod/). This also went unheeded.

The stark advice from ICES in May 2019 that there should be zero catch in 2020 of the Eastern Baltic cod stock was quickly followed by the imposition of emergency measures from the European Commission. These measures prohibit European fishing vessels “to fish for cod in ICES subdivisions 24, 25 and 26, and to retain on board, transfer, tranship, process on board or land cod and fisheries products from cod caught in that area” up to December 31 2019. LIFE fully supports these emergency measures.

The preamble to the emergency measures justifies them in grim fashion: “the biomass of eastern Baltic cod is at such a dangerously low level that the stock is no longer able to replenish itself and is hence threatened with collapse, secondly, any continued fishing on that stock increases the risk of its collapse, and, thirdly, the peak spawning season is ongoing.”

Meanwhile, for the Western Baltic cod stock, ICES recommended commercial catches in the range of 3 to 5 tonnes for 2020. With the exception of 2017, recruitment has been low since 1999, with 2018 and 2019 the lowest in the time series. The entire fishery depends on a single year class – 2016 – the estimated abundance of which ICES has significantly revised downwards – by 54%. This year class is the most important year class contributing to the catch and the revised estimate is largely responsible “for the 52% decrease in the 2020 catch”, says ICES.

So, what happened to all the cod that ICES reckoned were there last year, when they did their survey?

Wherever they went to, the future prospects for fisheries are not good, given that, according to ICES, the low growth, poor condition, and high natural mortality of cod are related to changes in the ecosystem. These include

  • Poor oxygen conditions that can affect cod directly by altering metabolism and indirectly from a shortage of benthic prey, while also affecting the survival of offspring;
  • Low availability of fish prey in the main distribution area of cod; and
  • High levels of parasite infestations; this is related to an increased abundance of grey seals.

In short, nothing short of an effective ecosystems approach, a fundamental pillar of the CFP, will help the cod. Closing the fishery is a drop in the ocean. In any case, the fish simply aren’t out there for anyone to catch in economic quantities or quality.

In light of this critical situation, Wolfgang Albrecht, a small scale fisherman who is also a founding Director of LIFE, Member of the BSAC /EXCOM , First Chairman Fischereischutzverband Schleswig-Holstein, provided this response on the reform of the CFP. This is one of the inputs informing a theme discussion on the future of the CFP at the ExCom of the Baltic Sea Advisory Council next Tuesday 3 September in Helsinki, at the HELCOM headquarters.

Albrecht calls for significant fleet reductions to be made, for fishing intensity to be reduced, and for the use of non-selective gears like trawling to be substantially reduced. In framing fisheries for the future a new regional policy for the Baltic based on inshore fisheries should be developed, with resource allocation prioritised for those operations that comply with criteria of an environmental, social and economic nature, that go beyond catch history.

Public money for public good, not individual gain!

He calls for a halt to any new finance for new builds from public sources, and a cessation of ongoing subsidies for three consecutive years.

He advocates the following measures:

  1. Restriction of industrial scale fishing of sand eel and sprat.
  2. Displacement of these fishing activities to fishing areas which lie further North.
  3. Reintroduction of seasonal and area-specific Spawning Time Closure (STC) for trawlers
  4. Exception from the STC for small scale fishing activities with vessels up to 12m in length, which deploy only passive gears in water depths of up to 20m.
  5. 50% reduction in the length of nets (passive gear) permitted during the STC to contribute to stock protection.
  6. Scientific involvement and evaluation of these measures.
  7. Abolition of rock hopper fishing to protect rocky grounds and reefs.
  8. Limitation of engine power in trawler fishing to 221KW in the exclusive economic zones of the member states (minimum 12 nautical miles from the coastline).
  9. Same data recording standards for all member states.
  10. Halt all fishing methods which produce more than 2% by-catch.
  11. Replacement / access for bottom-set net fisheries only after tasking existing operations with passive catch equipment 1:1.
  12. Hardship compensation by means of temporary financial support of affected vessels by means of he EMFF.
  13. Research into the damaging effects of trawl fishing during the cod’s spawning season on reproduction levels including the results of studies which are already available.
  14. When imposing any restrictions “the polluter pays principle” should be the guiding principle applied.

MORE INFORMATION:

Proposal for a reform of the CFP by Wolfgang Albrecht (German)

Proposal for a reform of the CFP by Wolfgang Albrecht (English)

♦ ♦ ♦

Balticletter

Final call for Eastern Baltic cod

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FINAL CALL

for Eastern Baltic cod

 

Protest of Polish small-scale fishers. Warsaw, 27 February 2019 (photo: M. Ruciński)

 

Warsaw, 15th of March 2019

Marcin Ruciński

 

Sustaining the Eastern Baltic cod stock has been priority a for LIFE, given the historical importance of this stock as the very basis for livelihoods of many of our Members in the Baltic Sea…

Well, that is now history as far as the fishers’ livelihoods are concerned!

LIFE’s call for action[1] by the decision-makers in the last Baltic fisheries Council in October 2018, based on thorough analysis of different drivers of the stock situation, largely went unheeded. Things have gone from bad to worse since that time. Already last November, a drastic deterioration in the situation of the stock was visible thorough increasingly empty cod nets of many fishers. This was confirmed by the annual series of research cruises organized by the national scientific institutes.

Thanks to the timely initiative by the Baltic Sea Advisory Council[2], there was an opportunity to hear about the preliminary results of the latest scientific work already in late January; perhaps a discussion about the virtues of spawning protection could have been added. The mood at this hearing was as grim as the deterioration of the cod situation the participants witnessed. BSAC has unanimously agreed that Eastern Baltic cod is in acute critical state and that all possible measures must be explored in establishing an emergency plan for this stock.

A week later, the key scientific experts and their most renowned benchmarking counterparts met for an ICES benchmark workshop on Baltic cod. They have, at long last, made decisive progress towards establishing an assessment model for the Eastern Baltic cod stock – at least that’s what the author was given to understand as a non-scientific observer to this workshop. In terms of the stock status, the mood in the room was as grim as at the BSAC meeting, summed up by one scientist who speculated that the best we can do is “leave the biomass in the water and hope for the best”.

Some three weeks on, many of the Polish small-scale fishers protesting in Warsaw[3] declared that they have not yet caught any cod this year – or just a few. They urgently called that the decision-makers be informed of their grim situation, so that they act without delay.

Well, dear decision-makers, LIFE is informing you! It is time to act.

Given the very serious situation described above, which is at last seen by others (see the attached European Commission letter to BALTFISH and BSAC Chairs), the time for pondering how the stock got into this state or in pointing the finger to defend one’s own interests, is over. The time for decision has come.

LIFE’s proposal is straightforward and based on the wise words of the scientist cited above, coupled with the fundamental need for recruitment success to guarantee sustainability for any commercial fish stock.

LIFE advocates establishing, already for this year 2019, for the cod pre-spawning and peak spawning time, a biological rest period for the Baltic: a complete closure for all the fisheries targeting cod and pelagic species, the main food for cod, as well as all other fisheries known for significant cod by-catch risk, in subdivisions 25 and 26, between 1 May and 30 September. The affected fishers may be compensated for this harsh measure with temporary cessation monies from the EMFF.

We must avoid the Newfoundland cod scenario from the 1990s happening in the Baltic!

♦ ♦ ♦

 

[1]https://lifeplatform.eu/action-plan-for-eastern-baltic-cod/

[2]http://www.bsac.dk/getattachment/Meetings/BSAC-meetings/BSAC-Executive-Committee-meeting-(4)/BSACExComThememeeting29012019REPORTandSTATEMENTFINALOK.pdf.aspx?lang=en-GB, „theme meeting” part

[3]https://lifeplatform.eu/poland-ssfs-protest-against-the-situation-in-the-baltic-sea/

polish_coast

Action Plan for Eastern Baltic cod

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Action Plan for Eastern Baltic cod stock

following the discussions on ICES advice for 2019

Warsaw, Monday 3rd of September 2018

Marcin Ruciński

The situation

The Eastern Baltic cod stock, for long the cornerstone stock supporting the livelihoods of many Baltic fishers, and a key element of the Baltic ecosystem, has been in a downward trend for about the last 5 years. This year, ICES’s stock size indicator is the lowest observed in the time series, and the TAC of 16.685 tons, less than a half of this year’s TAC, is advised for 2019 fishery.

The TAC decreases, applied since 2015, have not brought about any visible improvement of the situation. Indeed, the TAC has not been fully taken since 2011. The causes of the current situation lie both within and outside the fisheries sector.

  1. There is widespread but as yet informal knowledge within the sector that illegal mobile gear modifications (BACOMA, T90) are commonplace in the cod fishery. This is a response to the uneconomical, small rates of marketable large cod in catches, caused in turn by a truncated size structure of the stock. The causes of the truncated stock size structure should be better investigated.
  2. The practice described above has an obvious consequence of drastically increased discards, which ICES themselves point to in a number of annual advice papers. Their discard estimates range between 10 and 15%, with a hint that the numbers may be an underestimate, an issue of concern that LIFE has been bringing to managers’ attention since 2016. The more difficult access to gain observer data, observed by the scientists since the introduction of Landing Obligation in the Baltic since 2015, is a very worrying signal for the managers.
  3. The body condition of Eastern Baltic cod individuals has significantly decreased over the last years. There are a few causes for this, amongst which the relatively low abundance of sprat and herring, the main prey species for large cod, in sub-divisions 25-26 (where most cod occur), is of particular concern. Therefore, ICES have since 2014 been advising a spatial management plan to restrict the pelagic catches in the main area of cod occurrence. Furthermore, there is evidence[1] that the “skinny cod”, if provided with proper food, can quickly increase body condition, which i.a. makes it more resistant to seal-induced parasites.
  4. The spawning of Eastern Baltic cod is not optimally protected, especially in the Bornholm Deep, where the most significant spawning takes place. The coordinates of the spawning closure do not cover some of the most significant areas where spawning concentrations, eggs and larvae occur. Some fishers have, through their contacts with Members of European Parliament, tried to help managers address this situation a few years ago[2], to no avail however. There is science[3] supporting our view that spawning disturbance must be avoided for a successful recruitment.
  5. The Eastern cod stock is also significantly and negatively affected by a number of factors over which fisheries management has no or very limited influence and which cannot be addressed in this Action Plan. These include (and are not limited to):
    • Strong increase in the grey seal population in the Central Baltic Sea, resulting in both direct predation and increased occurrence seal-induced parasites in cod, further compounding declines in body condition (see p. 3 above)
    • Climate change resulting in a water temperature increase in the Baltic Sea;
    • Lack of major saline and oxygenated water inflows from the North Sea since 2014;
    • Unfavourable changes in the zoo- and phytoplankton structure;
    • Underwater construction works, especially those undertaken in the Bornholm Deep – the main Eastern cod spawning area.

Elements of the Action Plan

  1. It is long overdue that the widespread illegal mobile gear modification practices leading to currently high, and largely unreported, level of cod discards, as well as the discards themselves, are properly dealt with by the competent control and inspection authorities with all available means (on-board observers, electronic surveillance, etc.). We have already extensively written about these matters[4]. Both must quickly come to an end! Almost 4 years after introducing the Landing Obligation in the Baltic, it is a sine-qua-non-condition for Baltic managers to retain their credibility.

Without stamping out the illegal gear modifications and discards, further TAC decreases (except a zero TAC which we do not support) will not bring about the expected results.

  1. It is high time that the long-standing ICES advice about a spatial management plan for pelagic fisheries be properly recognized by the managers. That said, LIFE would want to minimize the ensuing difficulties in implementing this measure for our pelagic fleet colleagues. Potentially, it could be applied seasonally, taking account of cod feeding and spawning patterns, to the largest fleet segments which, technically speaking, can easily reach the rich pelagic fishing grounds in the Northern Baltic. Quota bonuses could also be used in various ways to ensure that at least a good part of pelagic fishing effort moves North to release the much-needed sprat and herring for the cod – and is the better for it financially.
  2. LIFE puts many hopes in the ongoing ICES efforts to evaluate the applicable conservation measures for Eastern Baltic cod, in particular the spawning closures and other spawning protection measures (WKCONGA). The enhanced cod spawning protection, whilst not directly addressing the key question of the truncated size structure, can possibly help improve recruitment, thus minimizing the risk of stock collapse.
  3. LIFE would also encourage the managers and scientists to look deeper into the possible importance of recreational fishing on Eastern cod. This would be particularly relevant for its possible impact on the global fishing effort on the largest cod size cohorts in the stock.
  4. All the fishers negatively affected by the much-needed innovative management and conservation measures for the Eastern cod stock should have the possibility to access the EMFF funds to compensate any losses.

LIFE looks forward to discussing with DG Mare officials, directly concerned Member States, Members of the European Parliament and other stakeholders on how these measures can be incorporated concretely into the new framework for allocating fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea in 2019 and the regional Technical Measures.

♦ ♦ ♦

[1] The initial results of a project led by SLU Aqua are accessible here https://www.slu.se/ew-nyheter/2018/6/stodutfodring-av-vildfangad-torsk-kan-ge-lonsammare-kustnara-yrkesfiske/

[2] Amendment 163 of the then-draft multispecies plan for the Baltic Sea, 2014, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-%2f%2fEP%2f%2fNONSGML%2bCOMPARL%2bPE-551.757%2b01%2bDOC%2bPDF%2bV0%2f%2fEN

[3] Van Overzee, Rijnsdorp, Effects of fishing during the spawning period: implications for sustainable management https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11160-014-9370-x

[4] https://lifeplatform.eu/jeremy-percy-writes-danish-minister-karen-ellemann/

germany

Baltic Sea fishing opportunities for 2018: LIFE views

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A Glimmer of Hope for Baltic Cod, overshadowed by discards and food scarcity in the East 

Baltic Sea fishing opportunities for 2018: LIFE views

 

Warsaw, 10 July 2017

Marcin Ruciński

 

As every year, the prospects for LIFE’s members, and the fate of the resources they depend on, hang on the discussions, negotiations, and decisions on setting catch levels and accompanying measures for Baltic fisheries in 2018. Our position, based on numerous discussions with our Members, is outlined below, a position that is also briefly reflected in the relevant BSAC Recommendation[1]. For the sake of sustaining both small scale fishing livelihoods in the Baltic and the resources they depend on, we very much hope to be heard and heeded by decision-makers.

  1. Western Baltic cod: building on hope and luck, use the opportunities carefully!

Precaution is of paramount importance for any fisheries management. Too much optimism on Western cod, notable in decisions taken until 2015, has led us to the brink of stock collapse last year. This year, we were lucky with a very strong year class of 2016, which allows us to look at the future of this stock, so immensely important to many small-scale fishing communities, with a glimmer of hope.

A glimmer of hope, however, must not be answered by recklessness. So, no tampering please with the management measures that have enabled the recovery we are now starting to observe. This goes particularly for the extended spawning protection, which LIFE advocated as top priority last year. The closed season enacted last year must not change. Any relaxation here, let alone its abolishment, would be premature and risky for the fragile stock recovery, based as it is on just one year class. It may well be that prolonging the spawning closure in question, enacted back in 2015, allowed for the successful 2016 spawning.

The newly recruited cod need additional protection from being prematurely caught and discarded in trawl fisheries. As the results of EFCA campaigns[2] show, this risk is terribly real with trawls currently in use and industry practices at sea. Therefore, LIFE lends its careful and conditional support for the repeated BSAC calls to promote the use of innovative mobile gears. The condition of our support is simple: there must be strong “checks and balances” by the authorities, at both national and EU level, ensuring that: a) new gears have been proven more selective than the currently used ones in a transparent scientific peer-review process, and b) intensive at-sea inspection campaigns are undertaken to weed out and deter from any practices nullifying selectivity.

On the TAC level, at LIFE we trust in the wisdom of decision-makers, as last year. We hope they will be mindful of the heavy TAC cut last year, swallowed with big difficulty by small-scale, low impact fleets. Many of us were forced to switch to fishing flatfishes for part of the season, with rather poor economic results. We note that ICES advice allows for a moderate TAC increase (around +9%), in full compliance with the multiannual plan. The real levels of discards in trawls observed by EFCA make case for the use of Article 17 of CFP Basic Regulation even stronger. We therefore very much hope that any increase will predominantly benefit those who behave responsibly and whose activities have the lowest possible impact on the resources.

  1. Eastern Baltic cod: curb illegal discarding and think of the food chain!

At first glance, ICES advice for the stock does not differ very substantially from that of last year. The difference in advised level of catches is about 3%. There are two particularly worrying signs though: the decline in stock size indicator and the level of discards, which ICES considers to be much higher than officially reported. This is confirmed by what our Members observe, and the situation seems to be even worse than last year in certain areas. It is therefore of paramount importance that the illegal cod discarding problem in the Eastern Baltic is urgently addressed – both by introducing innovative, more selective towed gears peer-reviewed by scientists i stepped-up at-sea inspections to weed out and deter any practices from nullifying selectivity.

It is equally important to analyze and fully respect the ICES advice, which points to the important role played by large-scale pelagic fisheries in current cod condition, characterized by food deprivation. ICES confirm the view already expressed by LIFE last year[3] that there is excessive effort on forage fish, which makes their long-standing call for a spatial management plan for large pelagic fisheries in subdivisions 25-26 stronger than ever.

Managers must no longer ignore this call. The arguments presented by large pelagic fleet representatives simply won’t wash: modern pelagic trawlers of 25 meters length and (much) more are perfectly able to steam north of Subdivisions 25-26 to reap the benefits of strong pelagic species’ concentrations. ICES confirm that it would also be beneficial for the pelagic stocks there if they did.

As to the TAC level, we hope the managers will take on board that 3 years of consecutive TAC reductions have not relieved the woes of Eastern cod. Please don’t make the small-scale, low impact fishers of the Baltic Sea pay the heavy price for a difficult stock situation that is not of their making.

♦ ♦ ♦

 

[1] http://www.bsac.dk/BSAC-Resources/BSAC-Statements-and-recommendations/BSAC-recommendations-for-the-fishery-2018

[2] See slides 8-9 of presentation by EFCA Executive Director, Pascal Savouret, available here http://www.bsac.dk/getattachment/Meetings/BSAC-meetings/BALTFISH-BSAC-EFCA-Workshop-on-implementation-of-t/FromEFCA-BSAC-EFCA-BALTFISH-presentation-9-March-2017.pdf.aspx?lang=en-GB

[3]See LIFE comments on 2017 Fishing Opportunities https://lifeplatform.eu/baltic-stocks-comments-highlights/

rockhopper

Recommendations for Western Cod

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rockhopper

Crunch Time in Baltic: Opportunities and Threats for Cod and Small Scale Fishers.

Brussels, 29 September 2016

LIFE Platform

As 2017 Baltic TAC negotiations near conclusion, lobbyists are taking a plethora of public stances. Rather than muddying the waters further, LIFE would like to recall the main elements of its Action Plan for Western cod, elaborated in July.

Access LIFE’s recommendations for the management of Western Baltic Cod by clicking here

Baltic_Sea_map

LIFE’s Baltic Members launch an Action Plan

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Baltic_Sea_map

Warsaw, 25th July 2016

LIFE Platform

 

Following ICES advice for 2017, LIFE’s Members of the Baltic Region (including Poland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany) elaborated the following action plan, to be presented to decision-makers, with concrete proposals for a correct management of the Western Baltic Cod stock. Cod is one of the main sources of income for small-scale fishers and is vital to maintain the livelihoods of local coastal communities in the Region.

 

Action Plan for Western Baltic cod stock following the ICES advice for 2017

 

The situation

LIFE is extremely worried at the latest ICES advice outlining the fishing opportunities for Western Baltic cod stock for 2017. The advised TAC of 917 tons constitutes an annual reduction of ca. 93%. It is perhaps the toughest practical stress test yet for the reformed CFP.

LIFE is of the opinion that the productivity of Western Baltic cod stock has been over-estimated for many years on the face of relatively strong year classes of 1990s and early 2000s. This unfortunate error allowed the long-lasting overfishing of the stock. The latest re-calculation of recruitment figures by ICES (table 8.3.4.11. as compared to advice from previous years) confirms this view. Another important problem is the amount of cod discards in pelagic trawling (SD24) and in demersal trawling (SD22), which may be higher than officially reported. Furthermore, towed gears are often used in a way that decreases or nullifies selectivity.

Moreover, recreational fishing and environmental/ecosystem factors, in particular the cod mortality caused by increasing seal population, add to the pressure on the stock. The seal damage to catches causes extra hardship for small-scale fishing communities, as the seals eat fish caught in their passive gears.

For 2017, ICES draws particular attention to very weak recruitment. The latest incoming year class is estimated at roughly 6% of long-term average, even if the F is slightly falling and SSB seems to have stabilized at level below Blim.

We are strongly convinced that the current state of Western cod stock calls for a development of broad and inventive Action Plan, rather than just focusing on business-as-usual: the short-sighted fight over the TAC levels or their allocations to Member States for next year we’ve been observing for too long.

Therefore, LIFE refrains from taking a position on specific TAC level for now, pending the developments on the Action Plan called for and outlined below. It is clear that overall,
a serious reduction of fishing opportunities, significantly more substantial than that of last year (-20%), has to be decided upon.

General thrust of the Action Plan

LIFE calls – in strongest terms – for recognition that just as we take utmost care for our most vulnerable fish stocks, we are obliged to take the utmost care for the most vulnerable fishers.

In concrete terms, this means that harsh measures needed to safeguard the stock should predominantly be targeted at those fleets that contribute the most to the fishing pressure on Western Baltic stock and are able, at least technically, to re-locate their effort to other areas and stocks.

The Action Plan is put together in the spirit of Article 5 of the new Baltic Multiannual Plan, which calls that all appropriate remedial measures be taken to ensure rapid return of the stock concerned to MSY levels and above.

LIFE calls upon EU Institutions, BALTFISH and Member States concerned to ensure that the measures outlined below are implemented without delay and become applicable as of 2017.

Elements of the Action Plan

  1. Protect the spawning stock by prolonged total trawling closure aimed at preserving pre-spawning and spawning concentrations. The closure should apply throughout February and March in the Subdivisions 22 and 23, i.e. where spawning occurs. Preserving the (still remaining…) spawning stock must be everyone’s priority.
  2. In the spirit of Article 17 of Basic CFP Regulation and in view of the significant TAC reduction, adopt incentivized cod avoidance plans for those fleets that are technically able to shift away from cod to other fisheries. In function of adopting cod avoidance plans, allocate the “released” fishing opportunities to those fishers who have no alternative and fish predominantly outside cod spawning zone with passive gears.
  3. Facilitate technical adjustments in towed gears that avoid by-catching cod – for the period outside the closure time mentioned in point 1. This goes particularly for directed flatfish fisheries with trawls.
  4. Managers should prioritize minimizing of by-catch of undersize and small cod, by new gear designs (including increasing the mesh size) and increase in the Minimum Conservation Reference Size, as deemed appropriate.
  5. Step up the control activities to prevent cod discards on the basis of risk analysis.
  6. Raise awareness of recreational fishers as to the situation of the Western cod stock to voluntarily decrease their pressure on it – until the cod stock has recovered. Introduce regulations on recreational fishing, such as bag limits for rod fishing. The regulations should assume equal burden-sharing compared to commercial fisheries.
  7. Take locally tailored measures to reduce damage to catches and gears caused by seals, by a.: facilitating movement to seal-safe gear, compensating for lost catches and gears, reducing seal and cormorant populations where allowed by environmental laws. In the longer run, environmental organizations need to re-think their seal and cormorant conservation policies.
  8. Use EMFF funding to offset the effects of these measures on the affected fleets.

LIFE is ready and willing to discuss this action plan with all the interested entities and persons, in particular the decision-makers of all appropriate levels.

It is the call for action with a set of concrete and constructive proposals from those whose livelihoods are directly and definitively threatened by the Western cod stock crisis. We ask all concerned to please act decisively before it’s too late – for the stock and for us.

Ger_photo1

Fresh cod seasoned with mustard Hollandaise sauce, floury potatoes and carrots

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FRESH COD SEASONED WITH MUSTARD HOLLANDAISE SAUCE,

FLOURY POTATOES AND CARROTS

From Ger\’s kitchen

In The Netherlands, cod covered in mustard Hollandaise sauce with floury potatoes and carrots is the traditional dish on Fridays.

The reason is simple: cook fresh cod and put creativity at good use!
Country: the Netherlands
Level: Medium
Price: Cheap

 

Fresh cod seasoned with mustard Hollandaise sauce, floury potatoes and carrots
Fresh cod seasoned with mustard Hollandaise sauce, floury potatoes and carrots
Fresh cod seasoned with mustard Hollandaise sauce, floury potatoes and carrots

Serve the dish warm, with a glass of Gewurztraminer or Riesling

… and enjoy your evening!

Ingredients for 2 people

Ingredients for 2 people:
• A nice piece of cod
• Baby carrots with or without peas
• Bay leaves
• Vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• Flour
• Mustard
• Butter
• Floury potatoes or mashed potatoes with celeriac
• Parsley

Ger_photo1

Fresh cod seasoned with mustard Hollandaise sauce, floury potatoes and carrots

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FRESH COD SEASONED WITH MUSTARD HOLLANDAISE SAUCE,

FLOURY POTATOES AND CARROTS

From Ger\’s kitchen

In The Netherlands, cod covered in mustard Hollandaise sauce with floury potatoes and carrots is the traditional dish on Fridays.

The reason is simple: cook fresh cod and put creativity at good use!
Country: the Netherlands
Level: Medium
Price: Cheap

 

Fresh cod seasoned with mustard Hollandaise sauce, floury potatoes and carrots
Fresh cod seasoned with mustard Hollandaise sauce, floury potatoes and carrots
Fresh cod seasoned with mustard Hollandaise sauce, floury potatoes and carrots

Serve the dish warm, with a glass of Gewurztraminer or Riesling

… and enjoy your evening!

Ingredients for 2 people

Ingredients for 2 people:
• A nice piece of cod
• Baby carrots with or without peas
• Bay leaves
• Vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• Flour
• Mustard
• Butter
• Floury potatoes or mashed potatoes with celeriac
• Parsley

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