Science recommends too high catch quotas: Fish stocks are dramatically overestimated

The fishing industry's lack of caution and prudence has led to the overfishing of cod and herring stocks in the Baltic Sea, with uncertain prospects for their recovery. The EU plans to significantly reduce catch quotas for cod and herring in the western Baltic Sea, in an effort to protect these threatened stocks from pollution and overfishing.

Small coastal fishermen will not receive any exceptions, leading to concerns that the quotas will not allow for sustainable fishing. The proposals are based on recommendations from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), and will be decided upon by fishing ministers in October.

The aim is to strike a balance between ecology and food supply. In addition, there are worries about the state of fish stocks and the economy.

The limits are intended to prevent the collapse of the stocks. The decision of the EU fishing ministers is not bound to scientific recommendations.

The catch quantities will be divided into national quotas. The EU Commission is proposing lower catch quotas in the Baltic Sea in order to tackle overfishing.

There will be reduced quotas for sprat, salmon, and cod, while the herring catch in the central Baltic Sea will be increased. The final decision will be made by the fishing ministers of the EU member states, including Cem Özdemir for Germany.

According to a report by the Federal Agency for Agriculture and Nutrition, most of the fish caught by offshore and coastal fishing in 2022 landed in Bremen, followed by Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Schleswig-Holstein, and Lower Saxony. Vice President of the EU Commission, Maroš Šefčovič, is concerned about the poor state of fish stocks in the Baltic Sea.