Poland said sprat catches will rise by 45% and Central Baltic herring by 15%, countering European Commission proposals for steep reductions, including more than 63% for cod bycatch in the eastern Baltic and 84% in the western area. Targeted cod fishing has been banned since 2019.
Warsaw argued scientific advice did not support the Commission’s assessment that Baltic fish stocks are in catastrophic condition and pressed for milder limits.
“Our demands, our expectations were mostly taken into account […] This is a success,” Deputy Agriculture Minister Jacek Czerniak said, adding authorities would brief fishers on the new quotas.
For 2026, Poland’s sprat quota was increased to 60,000 tons, from a total Baltic pool of more than 200,000 tons. Polish fishers will be allowed to catch 25,000 tons of herring in the Central Baltic, from a nearly 100,000-ton allocation for all fleets there.
(jh)
Source: IAR