Plenty of fish in the sea? EU fisheries ministers ignore law to facilitate further overfishing in Baltic Seas

16 Oct 2019 --- The EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council has set five out of ten Total Allowable Catches (TACs) which is beyond the EU fisheries’ legal requirements for sustainable fishing levels. These fishing limits will apply to fish caught in the Baltic Sea in 2020. Prominent fish conservation NGOs are publicly vocalizing their outrage, calling for quotas moving closer toward zero TACs to end overfishing in Europe.

“Overfishing is going on in all European waters despite the deadline agreed by all member states. This is despite the deadline agreed by all member states under the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) to achieve sustainable fishing levels by 2015 and at the latest by 2020,” Ottilia Thoreson, Director at World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Baltic Ecoregion Program, tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

The Council of the EU highlights that there has been a 60 percent decrease of cod fishing in the Western part of the Baltic Sea and the permission to have by-catches only in the Eastern part. Nevertheless, NGO recommendations on TACs call for zero metric tons of both Eastern Baltic cod and Western Baltic herring. 

The NGOs, however, recommend no more than 6.9 metric tons of Baltic plaice, which is in line with the Council’s adoption to reduce plaice fishing by 32 percent to 6.9 metric tons. Moreover, the NGO recommendation also stipulates a maximum of 3.06 metric tons of Western Baltic cod fishing, while the Council aims for 3.8 metric tons. 

The term “overfishing” is used when there is more fish caught than the amount that is recruited in a fish population. This happens when fishing mortality is higher than natural recruitment, minus the natural mortality in a population. According to the 2016 data of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN, 30 percent of global fish stocks are overfished. Almost 60 percent is currently being fished to the maximum and cannot handle any increase in fishing pressure. 

Light projections in Luxembourg to create awareness for overfishing in Europe. Source: our.fishThe numbers aside, fish preservation NGOs are still aggrieved by the Council’s actions. “Eastern Baltic cod and the western Baltic herring stocks are in a critical state with their numbers nearly depleted. Yet the fisheries ministers have agreed to continue overfishing these stocks. How are we to end overfishing and achieve global and regional goals on sustainable fisheries if our decision-makers ignore the facts?” says Thoreson.

“It is outrageous that despite the legally binding deadline to stop overfishing for all fish stocks by 2020, European Fisheries Ministers have set five out of ten fishing quotas for 2020 for the Baltic Sea beyond the legal requirements for sustainable fishing levels. The ministers’ decision to breach the law will damage fish populations and restrict their ability to replenish. Moreover, it undermines the long-term economic viability of the fishing industry dependent on these fish, along with the ocean’s resilience to climate change. Everybody must comply with the law – and politicians are no exception,” adds Andrea Ripol, Fisheries Policy Officer at Seas At Risk.

Educating the eater
Lack of information and awareness remains a cornerstone problem in the overfishing issue. Thoreson is concerned consumers do not know enough about the policy side of the fishing industry and how the fishing limits are set. “WWF has worked for a long time to inform consumers through seafood consumer guides as to what seafood is sustainable to eat. The CFP is a very technical policy and often very complex to understand and communicate,” she says. 

Giving up on fish entirely to end overfishing may seem like an obvious solution; however, there are alternative solutions to support fisheries sustainably. Thoreson suggests following the WWF seafood guide, which varies per country. Likewise, eating a wider range of fish listed as “green” in the guide and avoiding those that are listed as “red”. She also encourages consumers to look for fish that are Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certified. 

Fishing for catastrophe
Overfishing is a global problem that requires immediate action in order to protect what is left of the ocean’s fish. This week, a report by Dutch-based Changing Markets Foundation found links between top Dutch supermarkets and illegal unsustainable fishing practices in India, Vietnam and The Gambia, which supply feed ingredients for farmed seafood products in high-income markets. 

In a bid to address these issues, Ahold Delhaize, Metro AG and New England Seafood International initiated the foundation of the Global Tuna Alliance this month, an independent group of retailers and supply chain companies setting out to eradicate illegal fishing from the tuna sector. The Alliance also aims to step up social and environmental conditions and intergovernmental cooperation. 

A new survey by sustainable seafood brand Blue Circle Foods has revealed that although shoppers are concerned about the provenance and safety of fish products, prices still influence their purchasing decisions. Data from the survey, conducted in the US in September, showed overwhelming concern about contaminants, ocean pollution and overfishing. Consumers indicated a strong preference for fish and seafood that is certified sustainable; however, cost still topped their priorities.

By Anni Schleicher