Europêche, the trade body representing the fishing industry in Europe, has hit back at claims in an article published in the Guardian on 10 March stating that a leaked European Commission plan concerning the Baltic Sea would open the gates to overfishing.
The article claims that cod in the Baltic may become extinct and that some fish stocks are in such a poor condition, that scientists are even unable to carry out a proper evaluation.
The article also quotes Pew Charitable Trusts which claims that Western Baltic cod catches would break the current sustainable fishing limit by 60% and that it would destroy the common fisheries goal of ending overfishing by 2020.
Danish member of Europêche, Michael Andersen, said: "Whilst the legal aspects of managing fisheries are of significant importance, fishing is much more than biology. For most people, 'overfishing' means that the fishery is taking more fish than is estimated to be sustainable.
“It is important to point out here that for the great majority of fish stocks in the northern parts of Europe and certainly in the Baltic Sea, the current level of fishing is within what scientists in ICES estimate as being 'safe biological limits'," he added.
The fishing body argues that when the word 'overfishing' is used, it refers to fisheries above the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) and is something completely different from sustainability; it is a theory for economic optimisation and has no relevance for stock protection. Many of the exploited stocks in Northern Europe are currently fished at MSY and more enter the realm annually – in very good time to meet the 2020 target.
Furthermore, Europêche argues that the plan is not 'leaked' since it has been a part of MEP and vice-chair of the Committee on Fisheries, Linnéa Engström’s portfolio since October of 2014. During this period, a great number of people have worked with the plan and arguments of its details have been discussed by people with an interest in the Baltic fisheries.
Europêche goes on to state that it is untrue when Ms Engström asserts that the stocks are in such a bad condition that scientists cannot do a proper evaluation; it argues that the lack of proper evaluation is caused by exceptional biological conditions and has nothing whatsoever to do with the status of the stock.
Mr Andersen continued: "Pew’s allegation that the new plan would break the current sustainable fishing limit by 60%, is obviously ridiculous given that the sustainable limit for this stock represents the figure 0.6 and the proposed target maximum value is 0.45. According to ICES, the scientific body, a fishery in a range around the theoretical point value for MSY, will not endanger the stocks – as long as the fishery does not exceed the precautionary limit.
“Consequently, on request, ICES has suggested ranges for MSY that are compatible with the agreed policy of the European Community. These are the scientifically sound figures that the Commission have suggested to use in the Baltic plan," he added.
Fisheries management is the attempt to regulate the effects of a specific human activity on fish stocks, which are affected by many other factors in a chaotic environment so Europêche argues that any management of the industry must have some flexibility towards changes that are beyond human control.
President of Europêche, Javier Garat, concluded, "The European fishing industry provides jobs for 80,000 people and feeds a lot more. We cannot in Europe be so protective that we underexploit our resources and compensate by importing the necessary food. We cannot stand by and watch our industry’s reputation be unfairly trashed like this and it is important that the press reflect the facts and not selective quotation, misrepresentation and blatant untruths."
***
Update: 29 March 2016
Pew Charitable Trusts has written a Letter to the Editor in response to this article, which can be viewed here.
