Letter to Ministers – HELCOM
CCB • September 4, 2013
Until tomorrow the Helcom Heads on Delegation meeting is taking place in Copenhaguen. This meeting gathers key actors of the Baltic Sea Region and it aims to prepare the HELCOM Ministerial meeting on 3 October.
Taking place in the discussion, Coalition Clean Baltic together with The Fish Secretariat and Oceana sent a letter to the ministers of the Baltic Sea region, asking them to secure the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP).
On Wednesday, 28 May, the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) published its scientific advice for fish stocks in the Baltic Sea . In response, environmental NGOs from around the Baltic Sea region urge the European Commission to propose, and fisheries ministers to adopt, fishing opportunities at levels well below the headline advice to safeguard ecosystem needs and dynamics and allow for rapid recovery of Baltic Sea fish populations.
Key Baltic fish populations are in crisis, warn environmental NGOs. New scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, ICES, confirms the poor condition of key Baltic fish populations, several of which remain collapsed (1). EU fisheries ministers must set 2026-catch limits well below ICES advice and prioritise long-term recovery over short-term economic gains.