Commission proposes fishing opportunities for 2025 in the Baltic Sea

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

Today, the Commission has adopted its proposal for the 2025 fishing opportunities for the Baltic Sea. It responds to a scientific assessment that indicates several fisheries are in a dire situation.

The Commission proposed today thetotal allowable catches (TACs) and quotas for nine out of the ten stocks managed by the EU in the Baltic Sea. The remaining quota proposal (Bothnian herring) will be submitted at a later stage.

The Commission proposes to increase fishing opportunities for central Baltic herring (+108%) and herring in the Gulf of Riga (+10%). It proposes to decrease fishing of salmon in the main basin (-36%) and in the Gulf of Finland (-20%), as well as of sprat
(-42%). Catches of plaice would remain unchanged. The Commission proposes to decrease the allocations for unavoidable by-catches of western Baltic cod (-73%), eastern Baltic cod (-68%) and western Baltic herring (-50%).

The proposed TACs are based on the best available scientific advice from the International Council on the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) and follow the Baltic Sea multiannual management plan adopted in 2016 by the European Parliament and the Council.

Cod

For eastern Baltic cod, the Commission intends to keep a catch limit for unavoidable by-catches and all the accompanying measures in place already for several years. However, since the stock continues to be in a bad condition, the by-catch limit should be adjusted to the actual needs. Despite the measures taken since 2019, when scientists first warned about the poor status of cod, the situation has not improved.

The situation is similar for western Baltic cod. The Commission therefore proposes to adjust the by-catch TAC to actual needs, and to keep all the accompanying measures.

Herring

The stock size of western Baltic herring remains significantly below minimum levels. The Commission proposes removing the exemption for small-scale coastal fisheries and adjusting the TAC to unavoidable by-catches only.

The stock size of central Baltic herring has increased above the minimum level since last year. ICES forecasts a very positive stock development due to high estimated recruitment but emphasises that the forecast is more uncertain than usual. The Commission therefore proposes a cautious approach and will not propose to increase the TAC up to the maximum level included in the ICES advice. Herring in the Gulf of Riga is healthy, and the Commission proposes to set the catch limits according to the maximum recommended by ICES.

Plaice

While scientific advice would allow for a considerable increase, the Commission remains cautious, mainly to protect cod – which is an unavoidable by-catch when fishing for plaice. New measures to reduce cod by-catches through alternative fishing gear are expected to enter into force this year.

Sprat

The size of the sprat stock has decreased significantly due to persistently low reproduction rates. Scientists warn that the stock size could fall below healthy levels if reproduction is lower than expected. Therefore, scientific advice for sprat recommends a substantial reduction in catches. The Commission proposes to set the TAC at a level that minimises the risk of the stock size decreasing below the minimum level.

Salmon

The status of the different river salmon populations in the Baltic main basin varies considerably, with some remaining weak and others healthy. To achieve healthy levels, ICES advised three years ago the closure of all salmon fisheries in the main basin. At the same time, ICES assessed that it would be possible to maintain certain fisheries during the summer in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Bothnia and the Åland Sea. ICES maintained the principle of its advice for 2025 but decreased the related catch level because reproduction rates have decreased in recent years. The Commission therefore proposes adjusting the fishing opportunities and the accompanying rules accordingly, notably by banning recreational fishing for reared salmon, which unavoidably also causes the death of wild salmon.

Next steps

Based on these proposals, EU countries will take a final decision to determine the maximum quantities of the most important commercial fish species that can be caught in the Baltic Sea basin. The Council will examine the Commission’s proposal in view of adopting it during its meeting on 21-22 October 2024.

Background

The fishing opportunities proposal is part of the European Union’s approach to adjust the levels of fishing to long-term sustainability targets, called maximum sustainable yield (MSY), as agreed by the European Parliament and the Council in the Common Fisheries Policy. The Commission’s proposal is also in line with the Multiannual Plan for the management of cod, herring and sprat in the Baltic Sea and with the policy intentions expressed in the Commission’s Communication “Sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2025″.

The current situation is difficult for fishers as formerly important commercial stocks (western and eastern cod; western and central herring; sprat; and salmon in the southern Baltic Sea and rivers) are subject to various pressures which have led to the degradation of the Baltic Sea’s biodiversity, such as high nutrient inputs and persistently high levels of contaminants. These stressors, in part, stem from failures to implement EU legislation. Furthermore, the scientific advice also recognises the impact of misreporting of fishing, without being able to quantify it. Misreporting potentially leads to hidden overfishing. To help fishers in the Baltic Sea, Member States and coastal regions can use the European Social Fund Plus to implement measures for lifelong learning and skills development.

The Baltic Sea is the most polluted sea in Europe. It is affected by biodiversity loss, climate change, eutrophication, past overfishing, and elevated levels of contaminants such as pharmaceuticals and litter. Concerned about this dire situation, the European Commission organised twoeditions of the Our Baltic Conference in 2020 and 2023. These high-level events brought together Ministers from the eight EU countries surrounding the Baltic Sea (Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Finland and Sweden).

For More Information

Proposal fishing opportunities Baltic Sea 2025

Questions and Answers on Fishing Opportunities in the Baltic Sea in 2025 

Table: Overview of TAC changes 2024-2025 (figures in tons except for salmon, which is in number of pieces)

Quote(s)

I am worried about the poor state of the Baltic Sea fish stocks. The importance of taking action to address the dire state of key commercial species is becoming more evident every year. Fishers are the first to face the consequences, despite our joint efforts to rebuild fish stock populations. To make sure that local fishers can again rely on healthy fish stocks for their livelihoods, it is indispensable to fully implement the EU legislation at all levels.

Maroš Šefčovič, Executive Vice-President for European Green Deal, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight