Project country Germany
Overfishing
Baltic fish populations are in a catastrophic state. Both Eastern and Western cod stocks are on the verge of collapse, and all except one herring stock are facing severe difficulties. This devastating state does not come out of nowhere. Deterioration has been progressing steadily over the past decade, driven by overfishing and environmental destruction. Setting the total allowable catches in line with scientific advice is no longer enough to help Baltic fish populations recover. Instead, the pervasive use of destructive fishing techniques such as bottom trawling must end in order to protect the most vulnerable habitats of commercially important fish species.
Ban on bottom trawling
A ban on bottom trawling is an effective measure to help fish populations recover. This becomes evident in the example of Denmark’s Øresund, where bottom trawling is banned since 1932. It is the only place in the Baltic Sea where the cod population is still doing well. In the German Baltic Sea, bottom trawling is only banned within 3NM from the coast and there are many exemptions. The German regulation is clearly insufficient to help fish populations recover. We need to ban bottom trawling in Germany’s territorial waters (up to 12NM), foremost in MPAs and important spawning and nursery grounds for cod and herring. It is a critical measure to improve the status of the Baltic fish populations and its marine habitats.