Brussels, 15/06/2007 (Agence Europe) - The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) which advises the European Commission on its preparation for total allowable catches (TACs) and fish quotas, published a report on Friday 8 June expressing concern about the state of fish stocks for species like herring, whiting and particularly cod.
For 2008, ICES recommends establishing a herring recovery plan for the Celtic Sea and western Ireland, and to stop cod fishing in the Eastern Baltic, the North Sea and Kattegat. The news on fish stocks in the Norwegian and Barents Sea is more optimistic (apart from cod off the Norwegian coast), with positive developments for arctic cod (ICES recommends a TAC of 409,000 tonnes in 2008 compared with 150.000 tonnes in 2007), haddock (ICES recommends a TAC of 130.000 tonnes in 2008 compared with 424.000 tonnes in 2007) and saithe (ICES recommends a TAC of 247.000 tonnes in 2008 compared with 222.525 tonnes in 2007). ICES suggests halving TACs for plaice and herring in the North Sea and cutting TACs for haddock in the North Sea by 15%. (lc)