Advice & Recommendations

BSAC recommendations on the energy transition of the Baltic Sea fisheries sector.

In the recommendations document, background information is considered first, the BSAC recommendations are then presented. It also includes an Annex with details on EMFAF programs in the Member States.

BSAC Chair letter thanking the Commission for the invitation to Our Baltic Ministerial Conference on the 29th September and sharing the BSAC recommendations on the energy transition of
the Baltic Sea fisheries sector.

The Commission response was received the 17th October 2023.

The BSAC Executive Committee Chair seeks clarification to correctly interpret and implement Article 4(7) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/242 in the context of the revision of the BSAC Rules of Procedures.

The BSAC takes note of the Commission’s Communication and accompanying Staff Working Document. The BSAC provides feedback and comments following the Commission’s request. On 7th July 2023, the BSAC has already sent its recommendation for the fishery in the Baltic Sea in 2024 to the Commission.

BSAC request for a Baltic roundtable discussion before Fisheries Council of October

BSAC recommendations on the legal Acts introducing a new mandatory trawl gear device

The recommendation was also uploaded on the Commission’s consultation website.

BSAC recommendations for the fisheries 2024

– Letter from the ExCom Chair to DG Mare
– BSAC recommendations for the fisheries in 2024 (minor update on the 10/07)

Translation of the BSAC advice:

BSAC recommendations for the fisheries in 2024 in Polish
BSAC recommendations for the fisheries in 2024 in German
BSAC recommendations for the fisheries in 2024 in Lithuanian
BSAC recommendations for the fisheries in 2024 in Swedish

Adopted by the Executive Committee on Thursday 29th June, sent on Monday 3rd July 2023.

The BSAC Demersal Working Group has been discussing the rationale for measures aimed at protecting cod spawning areas under Article 7 of the Council Regulation on fishing opportunities1. The provisions of the Regulation on fishing opportunities restrict the fishery in SDs 22-23 from February to March and in SD 24-26 during the summer months (May – August) “to protect cod spawning”.

The BSAC recommends the Commission to evaluate the effectiveness of all the measures to protect cod spawning areas. Allowing for a thorough evaluation will require specifically to look at cod spawning areas and depth around the Baltic. By-catch levels for each specific fishery should also be considered.

BSAC comments on the amendments to the BALTFISH draft Joint
Recommendation regarding a derogation from the landing obligation in the Baltic
Sea establishing a discard plan as regards salmon in the Baltic Sea (ICES
Subdivisions 22-32)

The BSAC Executive Committee was consulted and asked if they wanted to raise further comments from the ones sent to BALTFISH on the 27th October 2022 or on the 22nd February 2023 on the same draft Joint Recommendation.

The BSAC Executive Committee Chair was invited to take part in the BALTFISH High Level Group, online, on the 24th April 2023.

The BSAC input was drafted based on the past and future BSAC meetings agendas and latest work of BSAC with BALTFISH. It was validated by the Executive Committee through written procedure.

The BSAC recommends that, in general, in geographically close areas, legal rules should be implemented in the same way in all Member States so that there is a transparent level playing field for all fishers, regardless of the location from where they operate in the concerned area. This is to prevent uneven conditions for fishers in different countries. Therefore, the BSAC recommends Member States to consult each other and find agreements so that they can ensure harmonised implementation of the rules at sea and in port.

The recommendations have been adopted on the 5th April 2023, sent 11th April 2023.

The BSAC Ecosystem Based Management Working Group, at its meetings held on 26^th October 2022 and 17^th February 2023, discussed the effects of offshore wind farms (OWF) on fisheries. The reports from these meetings are available on BSAC website. The recommendations were adopted by the BSAC ExCom through written procedure on 5^th April 2023.
The BSAC recognises the importance of decarbonising the European energy system and the role of OWF in this endeavour. This political priority needs to follow strict guidance not to come at unbalanced expense of traditional activities such as commercial and recreational fisheries and livelihoods.
Commitments of the offshore wind farms renewable installation objectives are huge with regards to the Baltic Sea size and level of current activity at sea. Its specific conditions as a shallow and enclosed brackish sea with severely impacted ecosystems and poor environmental status also stresses the need for an even more precautionary approach to offshore windfarm developments.

The BSAC has formulated 5 consensus recommendations.