Management measures are in place, and catch limits have followed scientific advice for the last two years. However, fishing pressure and stock size remain above and below their respective targets, although stock size is increasing and is approaching the target level. There has been a recent increase in unreported catches owing to restrictions on targeted fishing in some areas, while a closure to protect spawning cod has recently ceased.
Nine countries border the Baltic Sea, and all except Russia are EU member states. The EU Baltic Sea Multi-Annual Plan is the main piece of legislation guiding fisheries management in the Baltic Sea, and there are bilateral agreements with Russia.
Catches since 2003 have been broadly in line with, or below, the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for this stock. However, TACs have frequently been set above scientific advice, sometimes significantly so, although in 2019 and 2020 the TACs were set at around 70% of the level that would be consistent with FMSY. In 2019, commercial catches were advised to be between 5,867 and 22,238 tonnes, with catches at FMSY equating to 13,267t; and the TAC was set at 9,515t. In 2020, commercial catches were advised to be between 3,065 and 8,866 tonnes, with catches at FMSY equating to 5,105 tonnes. The 2020 TAC was set at 3,806 tonnes and is the lowest catch limit for this stock since the 1980s. It is predicted to allow the stock to continue to increase.
Recreational catches on this stock are significant, and are expected to be around 1,315 tonnes in 2020. Average annual recreational catch prior to 2017 was over 3,000 tonnes, but has since declined owing to the introduction of bag limits.
Since 2015, all cod must be landed (no discarding at sea is permitted). There is a Minimum Conservation Reference Size of 35cm: cod below this size must be landed whole, but can't be used for human consumption. To decrease below-MCRS catches, a "Bacoma" codend with a 120 mm mesh was introduced by the International Baltic Sea Fisheries Commission (IBSFC) in 2010, and diamond mesh size must be 130 mm in traditional codends. An extended "Bacoma" window (5.5 m) is also required to further decrease undersize catches. The discard rate is low, at around 1.5%. Highgrading has been prohibited since 1 January 2010 in all Baltic Sea fisheries, and data from observer schemes indicate that it is a minor problem.
Since 2009 there has been a seasonal closure from 1 April to 30 April, and since 2016 there has been no directed cod fishery in February and March, to protect spawning aggregations of cod. However, in 2019 there was no spawning closure in the Western Baltic. Instead, there were closures to protect Eastern Baltic cod: subdivision 24, where there is significant mixing of the two stocks, was closed to directed cod fishing. Historically, SD24 has been responsible for around 25% of the total Western Baltic cod catch. Cod caught as bycatch in this area had to be discarded, and was primarily caught by the flatfish trawl fishery. The discard ratio in this area subsequently increased from 4.3%to 9.7% in 2019. There was a strong incentive to misreport landings (i.e. allocate them to a different area), and so this measure is likely to have increased unreported and unregulated landings.
The UK is due to leave the EU on 31st December 2020, and new UK Fisheries legislation is being developed during 2020. MCS will update ratings with new management information when new legislation comes into force.
In the European Union (EU), EU fishing vessels can fish up to 12 nautical miles of any Member State coast, and closer by agreement. There is overarching fisheries legislation for all Member States, but implementation varies between fisheries, Member States and sea basins.
The EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is the primary overarching policy. Its key environmental objectives are to restore and maintain harvested species at healthy levels (above BMSY), and apply the precautionary and ecosystem-based approaches to fisheries management. To achieve the MSY objective, the MSY exploitation rate is supposed to be achieved by 2020, but this seems unlikely to happen.
The CFP also introduced a Landing Obligation (LO) which bans the discarding at sea of species which are subject to catch limits. Some exemptions apply to species with high post-capture survival, and where avoiding unwanted catches is very difficult. These exemptions are outlined in regional discard plans. Despite quota 'uplift' being granted to fleets under the LO, available evidence suggests there has been widespread non-compliance with the policy, and illegal and unreported discarding is likely occurring.
Multi-Annual Plans (MAPs) are a tool for implementing the CFP regionally, with one in place or being developed for each sea basin. They specify fishing mortality targets and ranges for the main targeted species, as well as lower biomass reference points. If populations drop below these points it should trigger a management response. The MAPs also empower Member States to jointly apply measures such as closures, gear or capacity limits, and bycatch limits. There is concern however that the MAPs do not provide adequate safeguards to maintain all stocks at healthy levels.
The EU Technical Measures regulation addresses how, where and when fishing can take place in order to limit unwanted catches and ecosystem impacts. There are common measures that apply to all EU sea basins, and regional measures that vary between sea basins. Measures include Minimum Conservation Reference Sizes (MCRS, previously Minimum Landing Sizes, MLS), gear specifications, mesh sizes, closed areas, and bycatch limits.
The Control Regulation, which is being revised in 2019, addresses application of and compliance with the above, e.g. keeping catches within limits, recording and sharing data, and satellite tracking of vessels over 12 metres (VMS).
