Luxemburg, 25/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - In the evening of Tuesday 24 October, EU Member States' fisheries ministers reached political agreement on fishing quotas in the Baltic Sea for 2007. For the countries affected (Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Poland and the Baltic countries), it will mean a 10% reduction in the number of days spent at sea (138 days per year when fishing is banned in the East Baltic and 117 days in the West Baltic), reductions in cod catches (-10% in the East Baltic and -6% in the West Baltic) and in salmon catches (-5%) but increases in quotas of herring (up to 14%) and sprat (+8%). Only Poland has said it will vote against the compromise when it comes to the formal adoption of the regulation in a few weeks' time. It would have preferred a less rigorous fishing effort limitation regime and larger quotas, particularly for salmon and herring.
European Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg welcomed this “balanced” agreement, which would ensure continued fishing activity in the Baltic. He put particular emphasis on strengthening the fishing effort limitation and control (especially of illegal fishing) regimes.
Cod quotas were reduced by less than the Commission originally wanted. However, Member States had to agree to a further reduction in the number of days at sea and the closure of certain zones. In addition, the Commission called on EU Member States to implement the cod recovery plan by 30 June 2007. If they did not, cod quotas would have to be reduced during the course of the year.
Fishing effort: the compromise provides for a 10% reduction, compared with 2006, in the number of days vessels can spend at sea. Fishing has been banned during certain months of the year (particularly from 1st July to 31 August in the East Baltic and from 31 March to 1st May in the West Baltic). Moreover, apart from seasonal closures, Member States will have to remove 67 fishing days from their vessels in the East Baltic and 77 in the West Baltic. The total number of days when fishing is not allowed is 138 in the East Baltic and 117 in the West Baltic. Finally, three fishing zones will remain closed to fishing throughout the whole year.
Main quotas for 2007: 40,805 tonnes of cod in the East Baltic (down by 10% compared with 2006, when the original Commission proposal was for a cut of 15%), 26,696 tonnes for cod caught in the West Baltic (a 6% reduction, compared with the original proposal of 15%), 428,000 individual salmon in the main Baltic Basin (a reduction of 5%, when the Commission had proposed a 20% cut), 132,718 tonnes of herring in the Central Baltic (an increase of 14%), an increase of 8% for sprat (454,492 tonnes) and no change for plaice (3,766 tonnes). (lc)