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From the European Commission, Issue 16/2024
The fishing situation in the Baltic Sea for 2025.
Sep
On August 26, 2024.
The European Commission (EC) adopted the
The EC has proposed total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas for nine of the ten stocks managed by the European Union (EU). The TACs are first set by the Council of the European Union and then distributed through national quotas, which determine how much fish each EU country can catch in a given year. EU countries can exchange quotas. The proposed TACs are based on the best available scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and are in line with the multi-year management plan for the Baltic Sea, adopted in 2016. By the European Parliament and the Council.
In its proposal, the EC suggests increasing fishing opportunities for Atlantic herring in the central Baltic Sea (+108 percent) and Atlantic herring in the Gulf of Riga (+10 percent). It also proposes to reduce catches of salmon in the Main Basin (-36 percent) and Gulf of Finland (-20 percent) and sprat (-42 percent). Plaice catches remain unchanged. The EC suggested reducing allocations for unavoidable bycatch of Atlantic cod in the western Baltic Sea (-73 percent), Atlantic cod in the eastern Baltic Sea (-68 percent) and Atlantic herring in the western basin (-50 percent). The EC also said that the quota proposal (herring from Botnia) will be submitted at a later stage.
Fishing situation – Atlantic herring
The European Commission, given that the abundance of Atlantic herring in the western Baltic Sea remains well below minimum levels, is proposing to remove the exemption for small-scale coastal fisheries and adjust the TAC only to unavoidable bycatch.
In addition, although Atlantic herring abundance in the central Baltic Sea has increased since 2023. above the minimum level, the EC suggests a cautious approach and not increasing the TAC to the maximum level set by ICES advice. For the herring fishery in the Gulf of Riga, it suggested setting catch limits in line with the maximum recommended by ICES.
Fishing situation – Atlantic cod
The EC intends to maintain the catch limit for Atlantic cod in the eastern Baltic Sea, and since this stock is still in poor condition, the bycatch limit should be adjusted to actual needs. The situation is similar for Atlantic cod in the western Baltic Sea, where the EC recommends adjusting the bycatch TAC to actual needs and maintaining all existing accompanying measures.
Scientific data shows that closing the Atlantic cod spawning ground in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea can bring benefits to the sustainability of the stock that TAC alone cannot achieve.
Fishing situation – sprat
The size of the sprat stock has declined significantly due to persistently low reproduction rates. Abundance could fall below healthy levels if forecasts do not materialize, so a significant reduction in catches is recommended, and the EC proposes setting the TAC at a level that does not trigger the risk of the stock falling below minimum levels.
According to the multiannual plan for the Baltic Sea, the TAC must ensure that the biomass of the sprat stock does not fall below a minimum level. According to the EC, this is only possible if the currently proposed TAC is reduced.
Fishing situation – salmon
The status of the various river salmon populations in the Baltic Sea’s main basin varies widely, with some still weak. To reach a healthy level, ICES three years ago recommended closing all salmon fishing in the main basin. At the same time, it assessed that it would be possible to maintain some summer fishing in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Bothnia. In addition, it has reduced fishing levels because reproduction rates have declined in recent years. As a result, the EC proposes to adjust fishing opportunities and accompanying regulations, in particular by banning recreational fishing for farmed salmon, which inevitably causes the death of wild representatives of the species. Coastal recreational fishing for wild salmon can continue in the summer, in areas permitted for commercial fishing.
Background to the proposal and next steps
Every year, the European Commission presents a proposal for fishing opportunities in all EU sea basins, including the Baltic Sea. The proposal is part of the European Union’s approach to bring fishing levels in line with long-term sustainability targets, referred to as maximum sustainable yield (MSY), agreed upon by the European Parliament and the Council under the Common Fisheries Policy.
The EC’s proposal is in line with the multi-year management plan for cod, herring and sprat in the Baltic Sea and the EC’s communication published as Sustainable fishing in the EU: current situation and directions for 2025.
Based on the proposal, the European Union member states will make the final decision to determine the maximum quantities of the most important commercially exploited fish species that can be caught in the Baltic Sea. For more information, see the documents titled: Proposal on Fishing Opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2025 and Questions and Answers on Fishing Opportunities in the Baltic Sea in 2025.
