Joint NGO recommendations on Baltic Sea fishing opportunities for 2023

A coalition of NGOs urges the EU to set 2023 Baltic Sea fishing limits at or below scientific advice, specifically recommending zero catches for several cod and herring stocks. The document argues that current management fails to account for ecosystem dynamics, climate change, and widespread non-compliance with the Landing Obligation, calling for mandatory remote electronic monitoring and a transition away from bottom trawling.

• The NGOs recommend a zero Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for 2023 for both Eastern Baltic cod (SDs 25-32 and SD 24) and Western Baltic cod, citing that the latter is at a "historic low level".
• For Baltic sprat (SDs 22-32), the NGOs recommend a TAC not exceeding 224,114 tonnes, suggesting the lower FMSY range (165,227 to 224,114 tonnes) to account for interspecies dynamics and misreporting of sprat as herring.
• The recommendations for Western Baltic Spring Spawning (WBSS) herring call for a zero TAC for 2023, noting that the spawning stock biomass has been below Blim since 2007.
• For Baltic Sea salmon (SDs 22-31), the NGOs recommend zero catches in mixed stock fisheries at sea and a total TAC of no more than 50,000 salmon, restricted to coastal fisheries within 4 nautical miles from the coast in SDs 29-31.
• The document argues that the EU has failed to meet the legal deadline of 2020 to end overfishing as prescribed by the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), noting that in 2022, four out of ten TACs exceeded scientific advice.
• The NGOs call for the mandatory installation of remote electronic monitoring (REM), such as cameras, on all vessels above 12m and high-risk vessels below 12m to combat illegal discarding and non-compliance with the Landing Obligation.
• To protect cod populations, the document recommends a transition plan to phase out bottom trawling in the Baltic Sea, starting with a permanent trawl-free area in ICES SD 22 from January 1, 2023.
• The NGOs advocate for an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management that considers the impacts of climate change, pollution, and eutrophication on fish populations.

APA

ClientEarth (n.d.). Joint NGO recommendations on Baltic Sea fishing opportunities for 2023. https://www.clientearth.org/media/gnfk0eki/final-ngo-bsr-tac-paper-with-wbss-july-2022.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. Joint NGO recommendations on Baltic Sea fishing opportunities for 2023. n.d. https://www.clientearth.org/media/gnfk0eki/final-ngo-bsr-tac-paper-with-wbss-july-2022.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=ClientEarth |title=Joint NGO recommendations on Baltic Sea fishing opportunities for 2023 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/gnfk0eki/final-ngo-bsr-tac-paper-with-wbss-july-2022.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{clientearthndjoint, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{Joint NGO recommendations on Baltic Sea fishing opportunities for 2023}}, publisher = {ClientEarth}, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/gnfk0eki/final-ngo-bsr-tac-paper-with-wbss-july-2022.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }