New selective gears in the Baltic to help rebuild cod stocks

The EU adopted legislation to make the flatfish fisheries in the Baltic Sea more selective by reducing incidental catches of cod, a heavily depleted stock, with the use of more selective gears. 

The targeted fishery of cod in the Baltic Sea is closed. As long as this closure remains in effect, operators in the main distribution area of the western and eastern cod stocks will have to use more selective gears. 

These fishing gears would allow cod to escape:

• A 'roofless selection device' that removes a part of the top of the fishing net, allowing cod to swim out.
• Two new types of fishing nets with larger meshes.

The objective of the new rules is to reduce the incidental catches of cod by at least 55% in ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) subdivisions 22-26.

The situation in the Baltic Sea is very difficult, with some commercial stocks, such as western and eastern cod, under pressure. Although fisheries are only one of the reasons for this situation, reducing cod catches is indispensable to making the recovery of cod stocks possible.

Technical specifications

When fishing for flatfish in ICES subdivisions 22-26, the use of a roofless selection device is mandatory together with the current baseline gears or with two new gears that are also more selective: a modified T90 codend and a square mesh codend.

Alternatively, in part of the Western Baltic (ICES subdivision 24) and the South-Eastern Baltic (ICES subdivisions 25 and 26), operators will also be able to use the modified T90 codend without the roofless selection device. 

The modified T90 codend and the square mesh codend are characterised by having larger meshes. The roofless selection device is a new adaptation of the trawl gear. It is based on removing a section of the top panel, allowing the cod to escape. According to the STECF, the roofless device releases the majority of cod, irrespective of their size.

These new, more selective gears were introduced under the regionalisation process of the common fisheries policy (CFP). They were proposed to the European Commission jointly by the Baltic EU Member States and positively assessed by the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF).

Next steps

Operators will have until 9 April 2025 to adapt their fishing gears to the new rules. They will be able to draw fund from the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF).

More information

Commission Delegated Regulation as regards specific technical measures to reduce by-catches of cod in the Baltic Sea

Commission Implementing Regulation laying down detailed rules on certain selective devices to reduce incidental catches of cod in the Baltic Sea