EU unveils plan for sustainable management of Baltic salmon – Fishupdate.com

EU unveils plan for sustainable management of Baltic salmon Published:  17 August, 2011

The European Commission has tabled its proposal for a new Regulation of the Council and the European Parliament establishing a multi-annual plan for the sustainable management of Baltic salmon.

Scientific advice indicates that stocks in some of the approximately 30 wild salmon rivers in the Baltic are outside safe biological limits and at risk of genetic depletion. A non-binding management plan established by the International Baltic Sea Fisheries Commission in 1997 expired in 2010, and without a new plan the future management of the stock will be left without clear objectives and without predictability for fishermen and tourism enterprises. In response, the European Commission is proposing a new multi-annual management plan for Baltic salmon. The objective of the proposal is the sustainable exploitation of all salmon river stocks in the Baltic Sea and hence to ensure the conservation status of the entire Baltic stock. The specific objectives of the new Regulation aim in ensuring that:-1.  the Baltic salmon stock is exploited in a sustainable way according to the principle of maximum sustainable yield (MSY) and 2.   the genetic integrity and diversity of the Baltic salmon stock is safeguarded.Commissioner Maria Damanaki, in charge of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, said: “Once in force, this regulation will pave the way towards the exploitation of the Baltic salmon stock at the level of MSY. With the necessary management measures in place, Baltic salmon fishery will continue to provide jobs and income in the region for years to come.”The proposal, which is consistent with the European Union’s environmental policy, especially with the objectives of the Habitat Directive, the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, is expected to restore the Baltic salmon stock and ensure its sustainable exploitation.