Western Baltic Sea fishermen may continue to catch herring in 2025

Baltic Sea fishermen will be allowed to target herring with small boats and passive fishing gear such as gillnets in 2025, Germany's Agriculture Ministry indicated on Tuesday, reported dpa.

The ministry said that a majority of European Union countries are in favour of extending an exemption to allow the fishing.

Germany's Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir had previously campaigned for the exemptions to remain in place, while the European Commission had proposed abolishing them.

"It is important for me to emphasize that this exemption for the small-scale coastal fishery for western herring has no negative impact on stock recovery," said Özdemir.

The agreement reached in Luxembourg also stipulates that less cod may end up in the nets as by-catch in the western Baltic Sea. The by-catch volume for herring remains the same.

Talks around new limits for fishing in the Baltic Sea have been prompted by the poor state of many fish stocks, and concerns that overfishing is further depleting populations.

Environmentalists have long been warning of the consequences of climate change, marine pollution and overfishing.

"Fish populations need time to recover and reach a size that can be fished again," said the German environmental advocacy group BUND.

Once a year, EU member states decide how much fish can be taken from the Baltic Sea following a proposal drawn up by the European Commission.

The proposal is based on scientific recommendations from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), a regional fisheries advisory organization.