The European Commission proposes that cod quotas in the western Baltic Sea be cut by 92 percent.
It writes Politiken.
Thus, fishermen from Bornholm, Sjælland, Lolland-Falster, Fyn, Langeland and Sønderjylland go from being able to catch 1746 tonnes this year to 141 tonnes of cod next year.
However, the cod that fishermen may still catch may only be caught as a by-catch – not a main catch.
And this worries Svend-Erik Andersen, who is chairman of the Danish Fisheries Association, because it will make it difficult to fish for other fish without exceeding the cod quotas.
– It is a grotesque situation, because it will make it very difficult to continue fishing for the other species that are doing well, because there will always be a by-catch of cod, which is difficult to control, he says to Politiken.
Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Rasmus Prehn (SocDem) will meet with other EU fisheries ministers on 11 October to discuss the proposal.
He is not optimistic about the prospects for raising the cod quotas in the European Commission’s proposal.
– Unfortunately, it looks heavy, but I also have to tell the fishermen that we have a basic task to take care of the species that are.
– It’s not possible to keep going. There must be significantly less fishing, and that will also mean fewer fishermen, he says.
Morten Vinther, who is a senior researcher at DTU Aqua and a member of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, can sign that cod is thriving in the Baltic Sea.
– The fishing pressure must be brought down sharply. If this is not done, there is a very real risk that cod will disappear as commercial fish in the near future. It’s so bad, he says.
Source: The Nordic Page