LIFE position on Swedish Government assignment to conduct a scientific project on pelagic stocks in the Baltic Sea
The Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE) supports the draft project presented by the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SWAM) responding to the Swedish government’s assignment for a trawl closure of the central Baltic herring coastal waters. The draft project was presented to the Baltic Sea Advisory Council membership in September 2024 for consultation.
Healthy herring stocks are critical for the Baltic Sea ecosystem, yet negative trends have been observed across all Baltic Sea subdivisions along the Swedish coast. These include declining age and size structure, as well as reductions in biomass and abundance. This scientific project seeks to assess whether spatial fisheries management measures could improve the status of herring stocks along the Swedish coast.
A proposed study area in the Central Baltic Sea will test annual fishing restrictions on Union vessels using towed gear for pelagic stocks, with an exemption for vessels under 24 meters targeting fish for direct human consumption. As a Swedish government assignment, the project will focus on Swedish fisheries, with suggested fishing regulations to be implemented as national measures under Article 20 of the Basic Regulation.
The project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of spatial fisheries management measures and, if successful, propose how such measures could help improve the health of herring stocks in the Baltic Sea. LIFE supports this initiative and encourages further efforts to enhance sustainable fisheries management while ensuring the resilience of the Baltic ecosystem.
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