The ban on cod fishing in the Eastern Baltic Sea introduced by the European Commission on Tuesday will remain in force until the end of the year.
The reason for the ban is simple. The aim is to save the poorly conditioned Atlantic cod stock in this part of the Baltic.
“We urgently need to take action to rebuild the stock in the interests of both fish and fishermen. This means responding quickly to an immediate threat through emergency measures taken by the Commission. It also means managing the stock – and the habitat in which it lives – in an appropriate way in the long term. – commented on the Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Policy and Fisheries, Carmen Vella.
The EC ban covers all fishing vessels and applies to those areas of the Baltic Sea where the largest part of the stock is found, “with the exception of certain specific derogations”. Some EU countries have already restricted fishing for this species in this area, but because not all of them have done so, the EC has decided to intervene.