Norway takes lead in tackling problem of discarded fish
7 November 2008
The EU must ban fishermen from throwing unwanted fish overboard if European stocks are to recover, according to a new WWF report.
The report also recommends that the EU follows Norway’s lead in protecting and managing depleted species such as North Sea cod. New regulations in Norway are already producing positive results, the WWF-Norway report reveals.
Negotiations are taking place between the EU and Norway on fishing opportunities in the North Sea for 2009, where last year fishermen discarded more than 8,000 tonnes of cod.
Recovery
Norwegian fishermen are now required to use selective gear, such as sorting grids, to reduce the likelihood of catching cod unintentionally. Discards – throwing unwanted fish overboard – have been banned, and key spawning areas have been closed to fisheries.
As a result, the Barents Sea to the north of Norway now holds the largest cod stocks in the world, making the Norwegian fishing industry stable and profitable into the future. WWF believes the EU must introduce similar regulations.
“Cod stocks can recover if the right measures are applied so we need real political leadership to tackle the situation urgently,” said Giles Bartlett, Fisheries Policy Officer at WWF-UK.
“Norway shows us that sustainable and profitable fisheries can work, and it is about time the EU followed their lead. We can no longer rely on voluntary measures to solve the problems of discards.”
Quotas
The EU imposes quotas and minimum size requirements to prevent overfishing and to ensure young fish reach spawning age. But rather than taking measures to avoid catching fish that are too small, the fishermen simply discard the illegally-caught fish. This has caused serious decline in several species.
Voluntary measures proposed by the fishing industry have made little difference to the amount of unwanted fish being caught. Scientists report that discarding of North Sea cod increased to 40% in 2007 and is expected to be higher in 2008.
“This year fishermen were given the opportunity to prove they can fish more selectively and sustainably,” added Bartlett. “But scientific advice shows that the rate of discarding is too high and the voluntary measures used so far have failed to address issue.
“Norway’s successful fisheries give them an opportunity to present a strong case for tackling discards at the annual EU-Norway bilateral negotiations. It’s vital that other European countries take note.”
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