CCB Priority Area 3

Development of sustainable Baltic Sea fisheries

Overall goal
a sustainable Baltic Sea fisheries with a precautionary and ecosystem approach.

Long-term goals
- That the scientific advice from ICES will be the basis when decisions are taken on fishing quotas in the Baltic Sea, to reduce, to a minimum, the risks of stock collapses and/or negative ecosystem effects in a wider perspective.

- To reach ecosystem based management for Baltic Sea fisheries

- That the use of drift-nets as well as beam trawling in the Baltic Sea should be prohibited.

- To stop the fishing on mixed salmon populations

- To safeguard all weak wild Baltic salmon river populations, and to develop them into healthy river populations

- To establish separate management of the Eastern and Western Cod stocks in the Baltic Sea

- To establish marine protected areas where fishing is prohibited

- To reduce by-catches in Baltic Sea fisheries

With special focus on the following sub areas:
Protection of the naturally spawning Baltic Salmon
Promotion of Baltic Sea sustainable fishing practices

Activities
Lobbying
In order to reach the goal and the visions, CCB will continue with the lobby activities within the Priority Area and present proposals for implementation of actions for sustainable management of the Baltic Sea fishery resources to the intergovernmental fora connected to Baltic fisheries (such as e.g. the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM), the Baltic 21-process, and the European Commission). Special attention will be given to the species Baltic cod and the naturally spawning Baltic salmon. Issues for protection of the marine biodiversity in general, like e.g. the protection of seals and harbour purpoises will also be included.

Information, Environmental Education and other activities to raise public awareness

Various information material for raising the awareness will be elaborated and distributed as well as material for the mass-media. One tool will also be to arrange meetings and seminars for discussions and exchange of knowledge and ideas. Various activities will be performed to market CCB views on sustainable fisheries.