Less herring and cod for the German North sea fishermen

German North sea fishermen are allowed to catch in the coming year, significantly less herring and cod. On the new catch quotas by EU fisheries Ministers agreed. Environmentalists, the cuts are too little.

EU fisheries Ministers have set up after marathon negotiations in Brussels, the North sea catches for 2019. For German fishermen, it is painful. You have to make do with significantly lower catch rates.

In herring, the allowed amount reduced by 40 percent to around 39.400 tons, it said after the Meeting the Minister. The cod is a decrease of 35 per cent after the two days of negotiations. In the coming year, it is now provided also in the case of the mackerel, a decline of 20 percent. In Germany, approximately 16.600 tons are. In the case of the plaice, the catch decreases by 12 percent to around 5300 tons.

When saithe is, however, provided an increase of 16 per cent is allowed, then a catch of a maximum of approximately 12,800 tonnes.

"After several good years to cope with the German fishermen in the coming year, in part, sensitive to cuts in their quotas," said Secretary of state Hermann Onko Aeikens. "These hard cuts are necessary to remain on course for Sustainability." The quotas are valid for a year.

environmentalists dissatisfied

environmentalists were dissatisfied. The European Union have committed themselves to the goal of, by 2020 all of its own stocks to a sustainable level, said Heike Vesper, Director of the WWF marine conservation programme. It remains unclear, however, how this should be achieved in just one year. "For the recovery of the fish stocks must be less caught."

catch quotas are valid for a year.

The EU member States define every year the so-called total allowable catches for the North sea and the northeast Atlantic. On this basis, the respective national catches is attributable to the individual countries on the basis of established distribution key. The EU Commission proposes quotas on the basis of scientific recommendations. After that, it is true, the interests of the fishing industry against nature conservation interests to be balanced.

upper limits for individual fish stocks

The upper limits apply for each individual fish stocks - that is, for a species of fish in a particular stretch of sea. If the allowed quota is exhausted, you must set the country in the catching of fish in there temporarily.

in particular, countries with large fishing fleets, such as Portugal, France and Spain to negotiate traditional hard. For stocks that are caught together, the EU and also with other countries, such as Norway.