Work is expected to start very soon in Brussels working groups………………
And at European Parliament Fisheries Committee at its next meeting on 19th September (agenda awaited).
Commission seminar on state of Europe's Fish Stocks 8th September 2011
The European Commission will host a one-day seminar on the state of fish stocks in European waters. The seminar aims to have open discussions on the latest scientific research on EU fisheries and how it should be applied in practice for the 2012 fishing season and in the long term.
The seminar will cover all major European fish stocks (cod, herring, anchovy, whiting, etc). The basis for the forthcoming Commission proposals on fishing opportunities for 2012 will be presented. Scientists will explain their estimates of how many fish are left in the seas and what this implies in practice for fishermen. Focus will be placed on data issues, its consequences for scientific advice and stock management and possible solutions to address shortcomings. Seminar participants will then be able to discuss what needs to be done next in order to manage these fisheries sustainably.
The seminar will have participants from the fishing industry, scientists and researchers, conservation organisations and other NGOs. It is open to the press and public.
Representing the BSRAC will be Michael Andersen (Danish Fishemrn’s Association) and Jesper Kobberø (ASECO: consumers)
Please note you can watch the meeting tomorrow via webstreaming at the link below, from 09.00 to 13.00:
Conference on the opportunities and first achievements of Axis 4 of the EFF, “Sustainable futures for fisheries areas" on 3rd and 4th November 2011 in Brussels.
The Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) of the European Commission is organising a high level conference on the sustainable development of fisheries areas. Recognising the increasing importance of this issue for fisheries communities, and the strengthening of EU policy on local development, the event will focus on the emerging experience and contribution of Axis 4 of the European Fisheries Fund. This event will take place in Brussels on 03/04 November 2011 and will be addressed by Commissioner Maria Damanaki. BSRAC has been invited.
The agency holds its next so-called Advisory Board meeting where the RACs take part on 28th September in Vigo.
Other news and meetings
ICES works on more than just fish stock assessments:
A talk will be given by Jørgen Nørrevang Jensen, ICES, and is one of the weekly seminars on aquatic science arranged by DTU Aqua in the so-called “Kaffeklubben” 6th October 2011 at 13hrs to 14 hrs at the National Institute of Aquatic Resources. See the whole programme for the coffee club here:
WWF Baltic Consensus Initiative Meeting 12-13 October 2011 in Stockholm, Sweden
The BSRAC chairman: has been invited to the launch meeting for the ‘Baltic Consensus’ on 12-13 October in Stockholm. The ‘Baltic Consensus’ is an initiative designed to secure the input of key resource ‘users’ to influence and promote a more efficient, integrated planning and management of the Baltic Sea. This launch meeting will feature the diverse perspectives of key stakeholders such as public and private sector and civil society representatives. It will also lay the groundwork for developing joint recommendations to influence the future development and protection of the Baltic Sea region. The agenda is on our website here:
Baltic Sea Strategy: Registration is already open for the BDF Summit and EUSBSR Annual Forum You are welcome to register for the 13th Baltic Development Forum Summit and the European Commission’s 2nd Annual Forum on the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region that will be held in Gdansk 24-26 October 2011 under the headline New Ambitions for the Baltic Sea Region. Approximately 700 decision-makers will be able to participate in this regional gathering. We expect a wide interest for the event among all stakeholders. Participation is free of charge and on a first come-first served basis. We therefore advise you to register as soon as possible. When your request for registration has been processed the Baltic Development Forum Secretariat will get back to you via email. Thank you for your interest, and we look forward to seeing you in Gdansk! On behalf of the organisers, Hans Brask, Director of BDF
“5th International Symposium on Treatment of Wastewater and Waste on Ships
25th November 2011Hamburg, Germany.
Main topics are the treatment and disposal of wastewater and ballast water. Furthermore the symposium gives information about port reception facilities for ship generated wastes. The revision of MEPC.159(55) as well as the directive 2000/59/EG about port reception facilities for ship generated waste and cargo residues shall be discussed intensively.
SOWOS is a conference for all parties involved (authorities, certifying bodies, constructors, operators, shipowners, ship yards, etc.).
From Mogens Schou. Adviser at the Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, sent to the BRAC:
Optimizing Catch quota management’
Dear colleagues,
Following the CQM workshop in Copenhagen 17th May I enclose for your information a paper on result based management to be discussed at the ICES annual meeting in Gdansk. Note the algorithmic model in the annex on “choke species” (‘Optimizing Catch quota management’). Putting the algorithm into a computer will make it possible when fixing TAC/quotas to assess consequences for total quota uptake in mixed fisheries 1) of varying relationships between the least and the most plentiful species in mixed fisheries 2) of changes in vessels targeting ability 3) and of changes in quota transferability. The variables used in the model are described in “boundary conditions” – the last 3 pages
I would be interested to hear from especially the fisheries org. whether
·The model is relevant and why
·The variables are OK – too many variables and too much uncertainty as to their values makes the model inapplicable
·We should aim at making a computerized model to simulate consequences of changes in the 3 factors mentioned above.
Other remarks are of course welcome.
Best regards Mogens Ministers adviser for fisheries and aquaculture Copenhagen, Denmark www.fvm.dk/yieldoffish +45 22 61 05 75
Please contact BSRAC secretariat or Mogens Schou direct to get hold of his paper.
MSC Certification of the German – eastern Baltic cod
From the Danish newspaper Flensborg Avis, 9th August 2011
Certification of eastern German cod- “A reward for careful fishery “
According to the article, as a result of a change in fishing methods, the hitherto threatened eastern Baltic cod has doubled six times since 2005.
Chris Zimmerman (of the Institute of Baltic Sea Fisheries in Rostock) refers to this as a brilliant example of how a fish stock, which has almost become extinct, can recover if only you give it the chance. He says this after an association of German fishermen has just been rewarded with the internationally accredited MSC label. The head of the organisation (Erzeugergemeinschaft der Nord- und Ostseefischer) Kai Arne Schmidt- is glad that the fish can be given the blue MSC label and thereby give the consumer the certainty that cod from the local fishery has been caught in a responsible and careful way.
The 52 certified vessels are catching cod in the eastern Baltic. Chris Zimmerman says that the recovery of the eastern cod is due to reduced fishing pressure, but also because of improved conditions for the cod – and that’s thanks to the fishermen. In practical terms the fishermen have taken the fish stock more into account partly by changing their fishing methods to use lighter nets which don’t touch the sea bed, but lead the fish into the net bag. They also use the net which has an opening at the top where the fish can escape (i.e Bacoma). Kai Arne says that they only want to catch the fully grown fish and with the methods they use they manage mostly to avoid bycatches. He says it’s the responsibility of the fishermen to ensure the right conditions for the fish. The 52 vessels catch almost 4500 tonnes of cod. The fishermen got their MSC certificate on 8th August in Kiel – awarded to them by the minister for agriculture and fisheries of Schleswig Holstein.
Danish earnings: status first half of 2011: so far, so good
The Danish Fishery: earnings are up in the first half of this year, even though volumes are down.
The Danish newspaper Fishing News reported in week 33 that in terms of earnings, the first half of 2011 has been much better than the same period in 2010. Total gross earnings are up by 12%, at about 200,000 Euros. But landings were down by 6% on the same period as last year. Total landings were 437.000 tonnes, of which 315.000 tonnes were industrial fish. Of the remaining 100.000 tonnes which were fish for consumption, herring accounted for 41.000 tonnes, 15.396 tonnes cod, 10.626 tonnes of plaice and 21.231 tonnes of mussels.
There’s more cod – but it also costs more than last year
For the first half of 2011, total cod landings were up by 2%. But the increase in the value of landings was up by a whole 12% - at about 28,000 Euros. The average price per kilo has gone up by 10% at 1.83 Euros.
Then into regional details, that gives 1.43 Euros for a kilo of Baltic cod (16% up on prices this time last year), and total landings of Baltic cod for January - June brought close to 18,000 Euros. That’s a 9% increase in volume of 2010 and a 26% increase in value!
Compare that with the North Sea and you see the total value of landings at approx. 6,700 Euros, which is a fall of 17% in volume, and a fall of 1% on last year’s earnings. But the average price for North Sea cod was 3.63 Euros per kilo (19% higher than last year when it was at 3.04 Euros).
An article from DTU Aqua about cod and seals
Could Seals Prevent Cod Recovery in the Baltic Sea?
Abstract
Fish populations are increasingly affected by multiple human and natural impacts including exploitation, eutrophication, habitat alteration and climate change. As a result many collapsed populations may have to recover in ecosystems whose structure and functioning differ from those in which they were formerly productive and supported sustainable fisheries. Here we investigate how a cod (Gadus morhua) population in the Baltic Sea whose biomass was reduced due to a combination of high exploitation and deteriorating environmental conditions might recover and develop in the 21st century in an ecosystem that likely will change due to both the already started recovery of a cod predator, the grey seal Halichoerus grypus, and projected climate impacts. Simulation modelling, assuming increased seal predation, fishing levels consistent with management plan targets and stable salinity, shows that the cod population could reach high levels well above the long-term average. Scenarios with similar seal and fishing levels but with 15% lower salinity suggest that the Baltic will still be able to support a cod population which can sustain a fishery, but biomass and yields will be lower. At present knowledge of cod and seal interactions, seal predation was found to have much lower impact on cod recovery, compared to the effects of exploitation and salinity. These results suggest that dual management objectives (recovery of both seal and cod populations) are realistic but success in achieving these goals will also depend on how climate change affects cod recruitment.
The Eastern Baltic cod stock was until recently below safe biological limits and suffered from high fishing pressure. In most recent years, fishing mortality substantially declined and spawner biomass more than tripled. Similar developments have not been observed for any other depleted cod stock in the North Atlantic during the last few decades. This paper investigates relative impacts of changes in different ecological and management-related drivers, which could have contributed to the rapid recovery of the Eastern Baltic cod. The results show that the success to reduce fishing mortality below management target in 2008 was due to a combination of increased recruitment and improved compliance with TAC. The reversal of the negative trend in biomass and rebuilding of the stock to the present level were largely driven by increased recruitment. Harvest control rules of the multi- annual management plan for setting TACs currently maintain the fishing mortality at a low level, which allows the stock to accumulate biomass and further accelerate its recovery. Relatively strong incoming year-classes and recently better control over removals distinguish the Eastern Baltic cod from other depleted European cod stocks, which have not shown similar positive trends in recent years. Sound management measures and compliance to those as well as favourable biological conditions are required for a successful stock recovery.
Axel Wenblad, former Director of the Swedish Board of Fisheries, was recently awarded the WWF International Baltic Prize: WWF Baltic Sea Leadership Award 2011, in recognition of his commitment and work in creating new Swedish legislation for marine planning. See press release (Swedish) here:
