Some good news for overfished stocks in the Baltic Sea but could be too little too late

CCB • October 17, 2022

Baltic Sea EU member states choose to set some quotas at precautionary levels to safeguard depleted fish populations but fail to proactively protect declining herring and cod stocks in the Baltic ecosystem.

Press release from: The Fisheries Secretariat, Seas at Risk, Our Fish, Oceana, Coalition Clean Baltic, WWF Baltic Ecoregion Programme and the Danish Society for Nature Conservation.


Luxembourg, 17 October 2022: Today, after an unprecedentedly short Fisheries Council meeting in Luxembourg, EU fisheries ministers have reached an agreement on the Baltic Sea fishing opportunities for 2023. With many populations on a downward trend and an ever increasing risk of ecosystem collapse, these negotiations presented a missed opportunity to set the Baltic Sea on a path to recovery and a sustainable fishery in the long term. 


This is the third year the Commission really made an effort to take wider ecosystem considerations and set more cautious catch levels, and once again the Ministers counteract those ambitions. We are still far away from a management that understands that the ecosystem needs cannot be negotiated”, says Nils Höglund from Coalition Clean Baltic. 


“While, it is encouraging that the European Commission and Member States have been more transparent about their positions on fishing limits ahead of the Council meeting, as they have been evasive and opaque in the past, they now need to extend this transparency to an honest and public discussion about the importance of fish as carbon engineers of the ocean,” says Rebecca Hubbard from Our Fish. “There is an urgent need to restore fish populations so that they can continue to help sequester carbon and be more resilient to the worsening impacts of climate change.” 


In the run up to the Council meeting, the European Commission proposed setting catch limits for some species lower than the scientifically calculated maximum. This was done in the spirit of an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management with the aim of protecting the severely depleted cod stocks in the Baltic. While the Member States chose to follow the progressive Commission's proposal for plaice, a fishery with substantial cod bycatch, they opted to set quotas for sprat and Central Baltic herring higher than the Commission proposed.


Sprat and herring are an essential food source for Eastern Baltic cod and we know cod struggle to find food now. It was great to see the Commission acknowledge this in the proposal” says Jan Isakson of the Fisheries Secretariat “It is very disappointing that Member States again choose short-term gains instead of helping the recovery of cod in the Baltic.


Fisheries Ministers upheld the Commission’s proposal to not permit targeted fishing of eastern and western Baltic cod as well as western Baltic herring and only allow some bycatch to be landed. NGOs had recommended that in accordance with scientific advice zero catches should be allowed, not even as ‘unintentional’ bycatch in other fisheries.


Although we understand a 100% bycatch-free fishery does not exist, we had hoped that decision makers would make any bycatch allowance conditional on the implementation of adequate catch recording using Remote Electronic Monitoring techniques” says Cathrine Pedersen Schirmer from the Danish Society for Nature Conservation DN. ”Denmark has recently implemented this method successfully in the Kattegat.


“There is a great deal of evidence that the ecological state of the Baltic Sea is dire, but we should not forget that it is overfishing that is the main reason for the collapse of cod and western Baltic herring,” says fisheries campaign director at Oceana in Europe, Javier López. “To help recover Baltic Fish stocks and marine ecosystems, decision makers should need to do more to factor in interspecies relations and stressors like eutrophication and warming water when setting catch limits. ”


“Time is running out for the Baltic Sea. While Ministers today took good steps in the right direction by considering ecosystem interactions for most stocks, these steps are too small and don’t match the crisis state we are in”, said Christine Adams from Seas At Risk. “We need to rethink how we fish and how we can manage Baltic fisheries in an environmentally friendly and socially just way.”


On salmon catches the Council also accepted the Commission’s proposal as well as additional management considerations to safeguard weak salmon stocks. This result is perhaps the most encouraging of this Council’s meeting since it is in line with scientific advice and includes a shift in management that is needed, taking account of spatial and temporal measures strongly suggested by experts for more than 15 years. 


It is encouraging that every year we see a little more progress towards sustainability and taking some ecosystem elements into account when setting fishing quotas,” Says Johanna Fox, WWF Baltic Ecoregion Programme Director. “But we need to accelerate the pace if the Baltic ecosystem is to recover. More protective measures are called for, including Remote Electronic Monitoring to secure effective fisheries control, the mandatory use of selective gears and better implementation of the Landing Obligation, as well as to allocate fishing quotas to fisheries with the least environmental impact.



ENDS


Notes:

- Joint NGO recommendations on Baltic Sea fishing opportunities for 2023 (June 2022)

- Baltic Sea: Council agrees catch limits for 2023 (17 October 2022)


Contacts:

  • Jan Isakson, Director, FishSec, +46 70 608 74 83, jan.isakson@fishsec.org
  • Dave Walsh, Our Fish Communications Advisor, +34 691 826 764 press@fish.eu
  • Sara Tironi, Seas At Risk Communication officer +32 483 457 483 stironi@seas-at-risk.org
  • Emily Fairless, Oceana Communication officer,+32 478 038 490, efairless@oceana.org
  • Nils Höglund, Coalition Clean Baltic +46 707 679 249, nils@ccb.se
  • Hannah Griffiths Berggren, Communications officer, WWF Baltic Ecoregion Programme, hannah.griffiths.berggren@wwf.se, +46851511483
  • Cathrine Pedersen Schirmer, Chief adviser, Danmarks Naturfredningsforening/ Danish Society for Natur Conservation, Cathrine@dn.dk, +4531193226


By CCB October 3, 2025
3 October 2025 - Coalition Clean Baltic, together with its Member Organization BUND - Friends of the Earth Germany and the citizens’ initiative “ Lebensraum Vorpommern ”, have launched a petition to stop new oil and gas drilling projects in the Baltic Sea . The petition comes in response to plans to exploit a deposit just 6 km offshore Świnoujście , Poland, in the transboundary waters of the Oder Estuary and Pomeranian Bay. The planned site lies at the heart of NATURA 2000 protected areas , which are vital for biodiversity, climate action, and local communities. Oil and gas extraction in the Baltic Sea poses severe threats to its fragile ecosystems. Industrial activities such as drilling, pipeline construction, and ship traffic risk polluting the water with chemicals, oil leaks, and toxic waste. Underwater noise from pile driving and increased traffic would further degrade marine habitats. These pressures add to the already critical challenges faced by the Baltic Sea, including biodiversity loss, eutrophication, and the accelerating impacts of climate change. The consequences extend far beyond nature. Local communities rely on a clean and healthy Baltic for tourism, fishing, and quality of life. Expanding fossil fuel infrastructure would also undermine Europe’s climate commitments and lock in carbon emissions for decades to come. The petition calls on the Ministry of Climate and Environment of Poland, the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM), the European Commission, and the Secretariat of the Espoo Convention to : Stop the plans for oil and gas extraction in the Oder Estuary and the Pomeranian Bay; Ban any new oil and gas extraction across the Baltic Sea; Ensure strong cross-border cooperation and communication amongst all involved states. The petition is open through the WeMove Europe´s platform and can be signed here .
By CCB October 1, 2025
Job Title: Coalition Campaign Manager - Common Fisheries Policy Position type : Full-time consultancy contract. Open to part-time arrangements initially if needed. Contract duration: Short-term contract until end of March 2026, with possibility of extension subject to funding availability Reports to: Steering Committee Location : Flexible(remote/home office) with regular travel. Working in Brussels is of advantage. Starting date : ASAP In close cooperation with the Steering Group of the coalition, lead, plan, coordinate, and support the campaign of an NGO network working together towards the implementation of the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and the evaluation thereof. The campaign manager's responsibility is to develop and ensure the successful and timely delivery of political advocacy and public engagement activities of the campaign, both at EU and Member State level. Job description Strategy & Planning Develop and implement short-, and long-term campaign strategies aligned with coalition objectives, in close cooperation with the Steering Group. Set clear goals, timelines, and performance indicators for the campaign and ensure timely delivery thereof. Analyse policy development, political climate, media and public opinion, and stakeholder landscapes to inform tactics. Campaign Delivery Manage day-to-day execution of the campaign activities at Brussels and Member State level. Coordinate coalition partners and ensure communication between Steering Group and coalition members, as well as relevant groups/coalitions/experts and other stakeholders outside the coalition. Advise coalition members on strategic delivery of advocacy activities at all levels, including Member State level. Join Steering Group meetings in an advisory capacity. Report back to the Steering Group on the delivery of the campaign's activities, meeting of targets and milestones, and report back on activities, budget and impact. Advocacy & Stakeholder Engagement Build and maintain relationships with policymakers, key stakeholders, and allies to support campaign aims. Analyse opportunities of engagement, advise on policy language. Organise/coordinate/prepare and support relevant activities, including events, briefings, and advocacy activities in close cooperation with coalition members. Ensure relevant knowledge management and information flow within the coalition and across partner organisations. Liaise with communication experts on message framing, strategy and timelines. Management Support CCB administrative and finance staff managing grants to coalition partners. Ensure coalition partners receive information and materials that enable them to effectively contribute to achieving campaign goals (political information, policy briefings, templates, policy language, opportunity analyses). Support fundraising efforts as needed/requested by the Steering Group. Lead on funders narrative reporting. Qualifications & Skills required The consultant must be legally authorised to provide services and work as a consultant within the EU, based in an EU Member State. Fisheries and ocean expertise (preferred), or other environmental background. Degree (or equivalent experience) in communications/campaign management, political science, resource management, fisheries, or related field. Proven track record in designing and delivering successful advocacy or public campaigns at EU or Member State levels involving a larger coalition. Strong understanding of political processes at EU level and Member State levels, media landscapes, and public engagement. Excellent project management and organisational skills. Skilled communicator and coordinator, able to craft persuasive messages and engage a larger network into a common goal within tight deadlines. Ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines, and adapt to rapidly changing circumstances. Fluency in English is required; additional EU languages are a plus. Application Should you be interested in applying for this assignment, please send your CV (max. 2 pages) together with a personal letter (max. 1 page) before 9 October 2025 , COB, to secretariat@ccb.se Please include your consultancy rate in your application inclusive VAT (if applicable). Applications should be submitted in English. Incomplete applications (e.g. lacking either CV or personal letter) will not be considered . Any inquiries related to this assignment should be forwarded to the above email or to CCB Executive Secretary Mikhail Durkin at mikhail.durkin@ccb.se and +46 739 770 793. In the application and hiring process, CCB will not discriminate against any individual based on race, colour, sex, language, religion, national or social origin, property, disability, age, family status, sexual orientation and gender identity, economic and social situation. .