Europêche is calling for an urgent, binding recovery plan to reverse the ongoing ecological decline of the Baltic Sea.
The plea follows the Our Baltic Ministerial Conference hosted on 30 September by the European Commission in Stockholm.
The conference, the first fisheries-focused initiative under the EU Ocean Pact, brought together ministers from the Baltic region with Fisheries Commissioner Costas Kadis but left the fishing sector demanding more than just words.
“There is no need for more conferences or promises,” said Kenn Skau Fischer, chief executive of the Danish Fishers PO. “What we urgently need is a binding action plan to address the multiple factors that have shocked the marine environment in the Baltic Sea.”
Europêche stressed that no single country can solve the crisis alone. The Baltic ecosystem is being overwhelmed by nutrient emissions, chemical pollution, offshore wind development, climate change and exploding populations of predators like seals and cormorants, says the organisation.
“One country cannot shoulder this challenge on its own,” Fischer added. “We call on ministers to stand ready, work constructively with the Commission and find workable solutions for the future of the Baltic and our fishers.”
Despite drastic reductions in fishing activity, fish stocks are not recovering, a fact that Europêche says proves the problem goes far beyond fisheries management. The group is calling for a revision of the Common Fisheries Policy to allow measures that tackle broader environmental threats.
“If nothing is done to address the above-described stressors, fish stocks will not recover, regardless of catch limits,” warned Fischer.
Europêche also criticised the lack of direct fisher representation at the conference. “Without their involvement, there’s a real risk this becomes yet another academic exercise,” said Daniel Voces, Europêche’s managing director.
Europêche will meet Commissioner Kadis on 3 October to push for concrete action.
