Ministers close in on Baltic fishing deal

Under the new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), a plan that for the first time covers cod, herring and sprat stocks in the Baltic Sea is discussed.

Fisheries ministers from the European Union’s member states are expected to reach agreement on the amount and type of fish that can be caught in the Baltic Sea in 2015.

If they do strike a deal on Monday and Tuesday (13-14 October), it will be the first plan to apply to cod, herring and sprat stocks in the Baltic Sea since the EU’s revised Common Fisheries Policy came into force in January.

The European Commission in September came up with proposals to increase the total allowable catch in the Baltic by 12% compared to 2014 levels, as some of the stocks are now at sustainable levels. If the limits are approved, the number of different fish stocks that can be landed in the Baltic in 2015 could double from three to six, with a total catch set at approximately 629,000 tonnes.

On Tuesday, EU agriculture ministers will discuss African swine fever, cases of which were reported in Lithuania in January. It has also been discovered in Poland, Latvia and Estonia. Trade in pigs and pigmeat has fallen sharply since Russia banned imports after the disease was detected.

The European Commission has updated control measures to prevent the spread of the disease. The member states affected are expected to ask for more
support.

As European Voice went to press, there had been no decision on whether the consequences of Russia’s ban on food from the EU would be discussed. Ministers will, however, discuss the impact of the restrictions on fisheries.