Strong growth in cod stocks

EU experts believe to see growth in cod stocks in the northern North Sea and Baltic Sea. Photo: Lise Åserud / SCANPIX

European biologists say it has been a strong growth in cod stocks in the Baltic Sea and the northern part of the North Sea.

It seems grotesque that the cod one year almost declared extinct, and that it is so teeming with them a few years later, “said Chairman of Bælthavets Fisheries Society, Allan Buch, to DR.dk .

The head of Sydvestjysk Fisheries Society, Jesper Juul Larsen, find it gratifying that biologists now recognize that cod stocks are growing. Both he and Buch hopes for higher cod quotas from January.

According special researcher Eero Aro at the Fish Fisheries Research Institute, there are now twice as much cod in the Baltic Sea as a year ago. The main reason is, according to him the highly regulated fishing quotas in the 2000s.

“20-30 years ago we saw heavy over-fishing of cod, until it almost disappeared from the Baltic Sea. After the fishery was regulated the cod has recovered” he said.

“The stock of cod in the North Sea is very low and it is positive that the observed increase in recruitment. It is therefore important that we remain cautious with the allotment so that this increase may help to increase cod stocks in these areas to a more normal level” said State Secretary Vidar Ulriksen of the Ministry of Fisheries to ABC News.

Source: ABC News