Baltic Sea: EU Commission proposes fishing opportunities for 2025

Fishing situation of the Baltic Sea

What are the fishing opportunities? Why is the Commission proposing fishing opportunities for the Baltic Sea?

Every year, the European Commission proposes fishing opportunities for all the EU sea basins, including the Baltic Sea. Also called total allowable catches (TACs), fishing opportunities are catch limits for most fish species, based on scientific advice.

Once agreed by the Council of the European Union, TACs are shared in national quotas that determine how many fish each EU country is allowed to catch in a given year. Quotas can be exchanged among EU countries.

What is the situation of the Baltic Sea and how is the Baltic Sea multiannual management plan contributing to the management of Baltic Sea fisheries?

The Baltic Sea is fragile, especially due to its shallowness, limited connection with the ocean and slow water circulation. TheBaltic Sea multiannual management planaddresses stock management and fishing mortality from fisheries. It is the right instrument to manage fisheries’ effects on stocks. In addition, actions to address the wider ecological situation are urgently needed.

The current situation is difficult for fishers as formerly important commercial stocks (western and eastern cod; western and central herring; sprat; and salmon in the southern Baltic Sea and rivers) are also under additional pressures beyond fishing, notably from habitat loss due to a degradation of the environment both in inland waters as well as in the Baltic Sea itself. Member States will have to ensure they fully implement EU environmental legislation, along with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy, to improve the state of the Baltic Sea and see improvements in fish stocks’ recovery.

Eastern Baltic cod

Why is the Commission decreasing the by-catch TAC for eastern Baltic cod for 2025?

Despite the measures of recent years, scientists estimate that the condition of the stock has not improved. They, therefore, advise a continued stop for all catches of eastern Baltic cod for 2025. Hence, the Commission proposes to extend the current measures for 2025.

Regarding the TAC for unavoidable by-catches, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has not been able to provide such information. The Commission proposes not to exceed what is needed and to adjust the level to the by-catches reported in 2023.

In 2019, scientists discovered that the stock of eastern Baltic cod was in a worse state than previously expected and emergency measures had to be taken as this fish stock had been below safe biological limits for several years. The Commission therefore urged Member States to act, and prohibited fishing for cod in the most concerned areas for the rest of the year.

In 2020, based on scientific advice, the Commission proposed, and the Council agreed, to set a significantly lower TAC, which can only be used for cod by-catches. In 2021, again based on scientific advice, the TAC for unavoidable by-catches was reduced. From 2022 until 2024, the measures remained unchanged.

Why is the spawning closure for eastern Baltic cod maintained?

Science clearly states that such closures can have sustainability benefits for the stock, which cannot be achieved by a TAC alone. Scientists mention as an example for additional benefits that a closure may allow cod to spawn without being disturbed and that this can lead to producing more young cod. Eastern Baltic cod is in a very poor condition, below the minimum level. The Baltic Sea Multiannual Plan enables taking exceptional measures to remedy critical situations as quickly as possible.

Against this background, it is appropriate to maintain the closure during the entire peak spawning period in all potential spawning areas and in the main area from where cod migrate to the spawning grounds. At the same time, any disturbing fishing activity is prohibited.

Why is the prohibition of recreational fishing for eastern Baltic cod maintained?

Since eastern Baltic cod is in extremely poor condition, scientists advised to stop all catches, including recreational ones. This is coherent with the Baltic Sea multiannual plan, which provides that, when the size of a stock is below safe biological limits, further measures have to be taken to remedy the situation as quickly as possible. We therefore propose to continue this prohibition, already applicable since 2020.

Are the measures put in place since 2019 giving the expected outcome,and what is the Commission’s strategy going forward?

While it seems that, so far, the stock has not yet responded to the various measures, two relevant aspects need to be taken into account in the current context:

• First, conservation measures need time to show effects, especially when a stock is in such a bad condition as the eastern Baltic cod stock.
• Second, there are broader ecosystem-related factors such as oxygen depletion, rising water temperatures, pollution and diseases that affect the already weak and depleted cod stock, limiting its recovery capabilities.

In September 2020, the Commission held a high-level conference where the Ministers responsible for Environment and Fisheries from the Member States across the Baltic Sea region signed ajoint declarationto take a series of measures to address the ecosystem issues of the Baltic Sea. A follow-up conference was held in September 2023 to take stock of the advances made and to tackle additional issues. A number ofcommitmentswere taken on that occasion. Finally, the Commission asked the Member States to work on other measures such as developing gears for the flatfish fisheries, which could substantially reduce cod by-catches. The legislation is expected to enter into force later this year.

Western Baltic cod

Why is the Commission decreasing the by-catch TAC for western Baltic cod for 2025?

Last year, the ICES advice suggested decreasing western Baltic cod fishing opportunities to 24 tonnes in 2024 and 2025. The Commission therefore proposes to maintain the existing measures for 2025, including the prohibition of recreational fisheries.

Regarding the TAC level for unavoidable by-catches, ICES has not been able to provide such information. The Commission proposes not to exceed what is needed and adjust the level to the by-catches reported in 2023.

Western herring

Why is the Commission again proposing to close the remaining targeted western herring fishery for small-scale coastal fisheries?

As in the previous six years, ICES advises to stop all fishing so that the very depleted western herring stock can recover. For such situations, the Baltic Sea Multiannual Plan indicates that measures need to be taken to ensure the rapid return of the stock to sustainable levels. In addition, the TAC level needs to ensure with a very high probability that the stock biomass will not fall below the minimum levels.

Like last year, the Commission therefore proposes to close all the targeted fisheries, including small-scale coastal fisheries. Regarding the TAC level for unavoidable by-catches, ICES has not been able to provide such information. The Commission therefore again proposes to halve the TAC compared to 2024 level.

How does the Commission intend to help western Baltic herring recover?

ICES has been advising a stop of the western herring fishery for six years. The EU, therefore, has drastically reduced the quotas in the Baltic Sea over the past few years. However, western herring is not only present in the Baltic Sea – it also migrates into the Skagerrak and the eastern North Sea. Most catches are currently taken in those areas.

For 2025, ICES estimates that 81% will be caught in the North Sea, and the remaining 19% in the Skagerrak and the Baltic Sea. This means that catches in the North Sea and in the Skagerrak also have to decrease significantly for the stock to recover. However, fisheries in these areas are managed jointly with Norway and the UK. Therefore, the Commission will discuss with both Norway and the UK the need to keep the fishing pressure in those areas low and thus avoiding a negative impact on western Baltic herring.

Other stocks

Why is the Commission proposing to double the central Baltic herring fisheries although the stock is still fragile?

The biomass of the central herring stock fell below the minimum level last year. But since then, it has increased again above this level. Moreover, ICES estimates that reproduction is very strong. The resulting catch advice from ICES is +175% compared to the 2024 TAC.

ICES however states that its forecast is more uncertain than usual. Therefore, since the stock is still below healthy levels, the Commission proposes to be prudent and to limit the TAC increase to +108%, which corresponds to the lower end of the catch ranges indicated by ICES.

Why does the Commission propose such a significant TAC decrease for sprat?

The sprat stock is still healthy but has decreased substantially due to record low recruitment in recent years. ICES therefore advises to decrease the TAC by at least -26%.

However, according to the Baltic Sea Multiannual Plan the TAC level needs also to ensure with a very high probability that the stock biomass will not fall below the minimum level. This is only possible with the much higher TAC decrease proposed by the Commission.

Why does the Commission propose to decrease the commercial catches for main basin salmon?

According to ICES the reproduction success of wild salmon populations decreased to historically low levels in 2021. Since then, it increased slightly but the estimates are more uncertain than in the past. ICES therefore advises to be prudent and decrease catches. The Commission proposes to follow this advice. According to experts, the number of salmon returning to their river to reproduce has substantially decreased since 2021. And in 2023, the most productive salmon river reached a historic low.

Various salmon populations in the main basin have been in different condition for a long time. Some populations have been healthy, but others have been weak. In 2020, ICES advised that maintaining the existing mixed-stock fishery in the entire main basin would impair the ability to achieve healthy levels for all salmon populations. In 2021, ICES advised to close all commercial and recreational salmon fisheries in the main basin. However, it considered that it would still be possible to maintain a targeted salmon fishery during the summer in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Bothnian and the Åland Sea. The Council decided to follow this approach.

Why does the Commission propose to ban recreational fisheries on reared salmon?

Since 2021, ICES has been advising to stop all fishing for salmon in the main basin, including recreational fishing. The Council decided to keep a daily bag limit to allow for continued recreational fishing on reared salmon. However, in these fisheries, wild salmon are also caught. And while they have to be immediately released, a non-negligible amount dies thereafter.

Given that salmon reproduction success and the number of reproducing salmon are low, the Commission proposes to also prohibit recreational fishing for reared salmon. Coastal recreational fishing on wild salmon can however continue during summer, when and where commercial fishing is also allowed.

For more information

Press release on fishing opportunities for 2025 in the Baltic Sea