Support and criticism for Commission proposal for Baltic Sea fishing 2020

CCB • September 4, 2019

Helsinki, 4 Sept 2019 – Environmental NGOs The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation , Coalition Clean Baltic and the Fisheries Secretariat welcome the fact that the European Commission proposal for fishing opportunities for 2020 in the Baltic Sea follows scientific advice for the majority of the Baltic Sea fish stocks. However, NGOs strongly question the proposals for a number of stocks, which have not followed the scientific advice, like salmon, western herring and eastern cod.

The scientific advice on main basin Baltic salmon clearly states that commercial landings should be 58 900 salmons. The Commission proposal of 86 575 salmons is not inline with that advice. Ministers at the October Council should follow the scientific advice on Baltic salmon, not the Commission proposal “, said Tapani Veistola Senior Advisor at the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation.

Nils Höglund Fisheries Policy Officer at Coalition Clean Baltic, said: “ On western Baltic herring the science advice for a second year in a row is for zero catch. The Commission ignored the advice last year and member states then made it worse by increasing the TAC in the final decision. Unsurprisingly the stock did not improve. Unfortunately this years Commission proposal is again not inline with the scientific advice. We urge fisheries ministers to support the scientific advice ”.

Lindsay Keenan Fisheries Policy Officer at the Fisheries Secretariat added: “ For eastern Baltic cod the science is clear, the stock is in crisis and so we welcome the proposal of no direct cod fishing. We also welcome the proposed spawning areas protections, which should be a key part of a comprehensive long-term rebuilding plan for both cod stocks. However we have serious concerns about the proposed bycatch TAC for eastern cod, for which no figures are yet presented ”.

The NGOs point out the need for introduction of fishing gears that reduce bycatch and that such gears already exist. They also note the need for additional control and monitoring of medium & high risk vessels as a pre-condition for allocating quota.

With regard to the main pelagic stocks (sprat and herring), the NGOs note that the proposal disregards one crucial part of the scientific advice, namely to move some portion of the pelagic fishery to maximize the food availability for the weak cod stock. This must be addressed as a part of a long term recovery plan for the cod.

Veistola said, “With some Baltic stocks in crisis, the Common Fisheries Policy deadline of 2020 for stocks to be managed sustainably and in the midst of a biodiversity and climate emergency, decisions taken during Finlands presidencies of the EU and Baltfish will be crucial.”

The Commission and member states need to start really dealing with the substantial ecosystem problems in the Baltic Sea. Environment and fisheries Ministers need to work together to agree and implement long term solutions.


For information:
– Mr. Tapani Veistola, Finnish Association for Nature Conservation: +358 400 615 530
– Mr. Nils Höglund, Coalition Clean Baltic: +46 708 679 249
– Mr. Lindsay Keenan, Fisheries Secretariat: +46 707 100 510

Notes:

1) Finland will chair the Baltfish forum and High Level Group meetings in Helsinki on 4 & 5 Sept. Baltic member states senior fisheries officials will discuss the Commission proposal with a view to developing a Baltic consensus ahead of final decisions at the EU Fisheries Ministers Council meeting on 15-16 October.

Finland currently also chairs the EU Council. On 4 Sept the EU Parliament PECH committee will have a first exchange of views with Mr Jari Leppä, Finnish Minister for Agriculture and Forestry concerning Finlands EU presidency priorities.

2) Media briefing: Baltic and EU fisheries: Wed 4 Sept 2019 @ 09.30 – 10.30 – House of Science: Tieteiden talo, Kirkkokatu 6, Helsinki.

Baltic fisheries NGOs will also host a media briefing to offer their reaction to the EU Commissions proposal for Baltic fishing opportunities for 2020 and their analysis of the key issues facing Baltic fisheries. Fisheries policy officers from Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, Coalition Clean Baltic, The Fisheries Secretariat and Oceana will be available for interview.

3) Weblinks:

Commission Proposal for Baltic Sea fishing Total Allowable Catches

NGOs recommendations on Baltic fishing opportunities for 2020 are available at:

COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2019/1248 of 22 July 2019 establishing measures to alleviate a serious threat to the conservation of the eastern Baltic cod (Gadus morhua) stock 

Web link to EU press release re eastern Baltic cod emergency measures

ICES advice on western Baltic Herring Published 29 May 2019

ICES advice on Atlantic salmon in the Baltic Sea, excluding the Gulf of Finland

PECH committee agenda:

By CCB December 5, 2025
In Belém, in the heart of the Amazon, the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference COP30 immediately set the bar high. In his opening speech, Brazilian President Lula da Silva stressed that climate change is no longer a "threat to the future", but a tragedy that the world is already experiencing here and now, and called on countries to accelerate actions rather than limit themselves to promises. However, as is often the case in COP meetings, the political reality turned out to be more complicated than ambitions. Negotiations were difficult: the countries could not agree on a clear and binding plan to phase out fossil fuels. It is important to note that the Global Action Plan has provided a platform for discussing the development of a roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels, the main driver of climate change. At the same time, COP30 has brought tangible progress in other areas: the countries agreed to triple the amount of adaptation funding for developing countries by 2035, strengthened the forest and ocean agenda, and expanded the range of practical initiatives under the Action Agenda . COP30 consolidated the trend: from "water at the center of the climate crisis" to a holistic ocean agenda closely related to energy, food, biodiversity and sustainable coastal development. From the COP29 Water Declaration to the COP30 Enhanced Ocean Water Program At COP29 in Baku, the Declaration on Water for Climate Action was adopted , with the aim to applying comprehensive approaches to combating the causes and consequences of climate change for water basins, emphasizing also the need to integrate water-related mitigation and adaptation measures into national climate policies, including Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). COP30 did not reverse this logic, but expanded it towards the ocean and coasts. Both processes "aquatic" and "oceanic" are moving in the same direction: integration of water, coasts and ocean into the climate plans of countries; development of nature-based solutions; strengthening transboundary management of water and marine systems; recognizing adaptation as an equal part of climate policy, rather than an "adjunct" to emissions reduction. Task Force on Oceans and the Blue NDC Challenge The international Task Force on Oceans , led by Brazil and France, was officially presented at the high-level ministerial meeting "From Ambition to Implementation: Delivering on Ocean Commitments" on 18 November, integrating oceans into a global mechanism to accelerate the incorporation of marine solutions into national climate plans. The Blue Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Challenge encourages countries to set ocean protection targets when updating their NDCs. The goal is to transition the Blue NDC Challenge into an Implementation Task Force. Members of the Blue NDC Challenge, currently 17 countries, can adopt a broad set of actions aimed at the protection and sustainable use of the oceans.These measures include the sustainable management, conservation, and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems, supported by tools such as marine spatial planning, integrated coastal zone management, and climate-aligned marine protected areas. Countries are also encouraged to support sustainable and climate-resilient fishing and aquaculture, ensuring ocean health and long-term food security. B razil has set a clear example: its updated NDC includes a separate chapter on the ocean and coastal zones. For the first time, the national climate plan (Plano Clima) until 2035 includes a thematic adaptation plan for these areas. Priorities include the completion of national Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) by 2030 and major programs for the conservation and restoration of mangroves and coral reefs (ProManguezal, ProCoral).
By CCB November 24, 2025
Leading scientists, consumer advocates and policymakers gathered on November, 18th in Brussels for the conference "From Evidence to Policy: Toward a Tox free Living Environment" . They warned that exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in homes and consumer products represents a silent but severe public health and economic crisis. New findings presented to over 65 participants by the EU Baltic Sea Interreg project NonHazCity3 , LIFE ChemBee and the ToxFree LIFE for All projects as well as revealed widespread contamination of European households by complex chemical mixtures of hormone system disrupting substances (so called endocrine disrupters – EDCs) that contribute to chronic disease and impose enormous health costs. According to the key note speaker Dr. Aleksandra Rutkowska, the home environment is a significant source of exposure to EDCs through indoor air, dust and daily contact with common products. Current research links such exposure to a shocking amount of lifestyle diseases including 22 cancer outcomes, 18 metabolic disorder outcomes and 17 cardiovascular disease outcomes. Scientists also stressed that the crisis spans generations. EDCs trigger epigenetic changes that not only affect today’s population but also future children and even grandchildren. Other effects include reproduction disorders. Over the last decade, 150 million babies were born preterm, and evidence shows that reducing the use of plastics by half could cut the risk of preterm birth by half as well.