Deputy Agriculture Minister Jacek Czerniak said in Luxembourg that Warsaw is seeking larger quotas for herring and sprat and higher allowances for cod bycatches. Cod bycatches occur during other fisheries because targeted cod fishing in the Baltic has been banned since 2019.
“The stocks of these species are at a higher level than the Commission’s proposal suggests,” Czerniak said, adding that Poland is banking on scientific advice that considers fishers’ social and economic realities.
“We think a compromise will be reached, and we will present solutions that meet our fishers’ expectations,” he said.
The Commission has proposed further sharp curbing of cod bycatches—down 63% in the eastern Baltic, where Polish vessels mainly operate, and down 84% in the western Baltic. It also wants lower limits for herring, plaice, sprat and salmon.
Warsaw is pushing to revise the August proposal ahead of setting 2026 quotas, contending the data it cites paint a more optimistic picture of key stocks than the Commission’s assessment.
(jh)
Source: Polskie Radio 24