Cod fishing grounds to be closed

By David Cronin

Date: 09/12/04

Cod fishing grounds would be closed off Britain, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway under a recommendation put forward by the European Commission yesterday (8 December).

But Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg has decided not to heed advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas for a blanket ban on cod fishing in response to severe stock depletion.

"We seek to achieve a balance between what is biologically essential for the recovery of fish stocks and what is economically reasonable for fishing fleets," he said. The departure from scientific advice, he added, was partly because of the decommissioning of fleets under the reform of the Union's Common Fisheries Policy.

The closure of cod fishing grounds would take place in the North Sea, Irish Sea, eastern Channel, off Scotland's west coast and Scandinavian waters, the Kattegat and Skagerrak.

Across the EU, fishermen face a 60% reduction in their allowable catches for herring, 34% for cod and 27% for mackerel.

The proposals are to be considered by fisheries ministers at their annual quota-setting discussions on 20-22 December in Brussels. As several member states, including Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Latvia, have indicated they regard the restrictions sought as too onerous, marathon negotiations are expected at that meeting.

The European Commission has put forward a recommendation to close off cod fishing grounds off Britain, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway as a response to severe stock depletion. Article reports that the European Commissioner responsible for Fisheries, Joe Borg did thus not follow the advice of the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas for a blanket ban on cod fishing.