Stable catch quotas: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's fishermen breathe a sigh of relief!

Stable catch quotas: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's fishermen breathe a sigh of relief!

In good news for fishermen on the German Baltic Sea coast, fishing conditions will remain stable next year. According to reports from n-tv, German fishermen do not have to accept any significant losses in catch quantities. The catch levels for cod and herring remain stable, while the amount for plaice is reduced by three percent and that for sprat increases by an impressive 45 percent. This regulation comes after a meeting of EU agriculture ministers in Luxembourg, at which new catch levels for the Baltic Sea were decided. The Agriculture Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Till Backhaus (SPD), was satisfied with the stable conditions for fishing in the region, which also strongly supports the local economy.

The EU Commission had previously proposed significant reductions: a reduction in the catch of western herring by 50 percent and of western cod by 84 percent. But the outcome of the meeting shows that the EU states have deviated from these recommendations in many points. In particular, the decision by the Danish Fisheries Minister Jacob Jensen, who is concerned about the situation in the Baltic Sea, could be related to this. He points out that climate change and overfishing pose serious challenges to stocks.

Environmental and nature conservation criticism

The German Nature Conservation Association (NABU) and other environmental organizations criticize the agreed catch levels as “ecologically and economically senseless”. German Environmental Aid (DUH) in particular is pushing for a reform of fishing in the Baltic Sea, which should follow the precautionary principle. The concerns of environmentalists are often ignored, which they see as a “political failure of recent years”. Their demand: A rethinking of catch quantities that puts greater focus on the sustainability of stocks.

Final decisions on catch levels are based on the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, but EU countries are not obliged to follow these recommendations. This leads to surveys and discussions about the balance between economic use and nature conservation - an issue that is of particular concern to coastal fishermen, who are still allowed to use small boats and passive fishing gear to catch herring and can also fish as bycatch.

In summary, the situation shows that the German Baltic Sea fishery is facing challenges that affect both economic and ecological dimensions. The coming years will be crucial to secure stocks and ensure sustainable fishing. The industry is eagerly awaiting further developments, while fishermen hope that conditions do not worsen further.