- Front page
- About HELCOM
- Vacancies
- Contact us
- The Helsinki Convention
- Ministerial Declarations
- Ministerial Meeting 2013
- Recommendations
- Baltic Sea Action Plan
- Groups
- Projects
- Publications
- Press office
- Meetings and Documents
- Manuals and guidelines
- Assessments and indicators
- Shipping
- The marine environment
- Data and maps
-
Sustainable Fishing in Better Protected Baltic Sea
Photo: Oceana/Carlos Minguell.How can fisheries management contribute to achieving the conservation objectives of Marine Protected Areas? The answer lies in the core of a new project BALTFIMPA, the inception of which was discussed in a meeting on 23-24 January 2012, followed by the Seventh HELCOM Fisheries and Environment (FISH/ENV) Forum meeting.
For over three years, FISH/ENV Forum has acted as a regional platform to discuss and facilitate information exchange and dialogue on current fisheries and environment issues between relevant authorities and stakeholders. The Forum contributes to a cross-sectoral integration of environmental and fisheries policies in the Baltic.
Markku Aro, Director of Unit for Fisheries Industries at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in Finland, has been involved in fisheries administration since 1973. He has been the Co-Chair since the first steps of the FISH/ENV Forum in 2008: “There was rather little dialogue between administrators representing fisheries issues on one hand and environmental issues on the other, hence, HELCOM launched an idea to establish a forum to get the necessary dialogue started,” he describes.
During the meeting in January, the FISH/ENV Forum discussed among many issues, the emerging project BALTFIMPA, the work within EU for development of long-term management plans for commercial fish species in the Baltic; and the HELCOM draft Assessment of Coastal Fish Communities. Other topics included plans for continuation of HELCOM’s work on conservation of Baltic Salmon and Sea Trout (HELCOM SALAR), taking into account the outcome of the Baltic Sea Trout workshop, financed by the Nordic Council of Ministers, as well as the way towards restoration of European eel populations in the Baltic Sea.
A co-chair of the Forum representing environment side, Dr. Christian Pusch from the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) was asked, what would be currently the most important factor or sub-area in fisheries management:
“One of the big issues in fisheries management is the upcoming reform of the EU Common Fisheries Policy. The most important tasks in this context are to solve the problems of fleet overcapacities in several EU-countries, the high by-catch mortality and discard of target and non-target fish and especially the development and implementation of ecologically sustainable fishery management measures in Marine Protected Areas (MPA).”
Fisheries Co-Chair Mr. Aro stresses similar areas in response to the same question: “I am convinced that the management of stocks at Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) levels and eradicating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing practices are key factors to sustainable fisheries in the Baltic.”
As per areas of improvement for the FISH/ENV Forum, Mr. Aro mentions the Contracting Parties' level of commitment; however,“ My view on the key outcomes of the Forum is that the implementation of fish- and fisheries related measures of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan is an important task and mission, which covers a number of individual projects linked together,” Aro says.
The HELCOM countries are continuously working to fulfil the conservation objectives of Marine Protected Areas, and their habitats and species in the Baltic Sea. There is a need to investigate whether management of fisheries and the use of sustainable fishing gear could contribute to better conservation of MPAs and the Baltic Sea environment.
Investigation of these matters and planning for a new project to address them, possibly entitled BALTFIMPA, were intensively considered in late January meetings at the HELCOM Secretariat.
“One of the most important outcomes of the meeting was the positive feedback of the Contracting Parties and their expressed willingness to participate in this important project. Three countries - Denmark, Finland and Poland - have already nominated MPAs as pilot cases for the future project,” says Dr. Pusch.
“The management measures in MPAs can only be defined on a case by case basis as conservation objectives are mostly specifically designed for each site. In general, the most important possible measures are spatial and/or temporal restrictions of fishing activities that are in conflict with the conservation objectives of that site. Examples are bottom contacting gears in areas with vulnerable benthic habitats and sensible benthic species or gill nets with by-catch of protected marine mammals or sea birds. Another possible management measure to achieve the conservation objectives may also be the replacement of harmful fishing gears by ecologically sound and sustainable fishing gear, such as fish traps,” Dr. Pusch says.
Markku Aro would re-consider the measures related to fishing closure areas, but he as well stresses maritime spatial planning as an important tool for allocation of space for different activities at sea, including fisheries:
“As to areas aiming for fish stock conservation I am not very convinced about their effectiveness in general. There are three closed areas in the Baltic Proper to protect reproduction of cod and juvenile cod. However, data to speak on behalf of the closure is slightly conflicting. Further research and observations may be needed to evaluate existing and consider establishment of new fishing closure areas, as well as fishery-related measures within MPAs.”
“Spatial planning is an important issue. Nevertheless, it is obvious that fisheries are very often pushed aside in situations where different types of economic activities are competing of the use of a particular sea area. Definitely, we need to find a new spokesmen for the fisheries side when addressing maritime spatial planning,” says Mr. Aro.
There exists an exclusive community competence of the EU and the Common Fisheries Policy on fisheries governance in EU waters. However, the cooperation between fisheries and environment authorities, managers, and scientists of different levels within HELCOM countries, through the FISH/ENV Forum and various projects such as the BALTFIMPA, is of great importance. Such cooperation will ensure the cross-sectoral consideration and implementation of the fish- and fisheries related measures of the Baltic Sea Action Plan in the Baltic.
