Issues discussed

The interlocutors discussed three issues relevant to fisheries:

• enabling catches of sprat in April at a depth of more than 65 m;
• restrictions resulting from the provisions of the Regulation on the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund with regard to the established 15% ring-fencing;
• prohibition on the use of gillnets in the period between November and January in the area of the Bay of Pomerania.

Restrictions on catches of sprat – request for derogation

The current legislation prohibits the fishing of pelagic stocks using pelagic trawl nets in April in ICES subdivisions 25 and 26. The purpose of the prohibition is to protect the stock of Central Baltic herring which has its spawning season at that time. Poland expressed its full support for the protection of herring in April but noted that the prohibition had an impact on catches of sprat. Deputy Minister Czerniak also pointed out that fishermen from ICES subdivision 26 must not pursue their fishing activities from May to August due to the protection of cod during its spawning season and that catch restrictions apply in ICES subdivision 25.

According to information provided by Polish fishermen and processors, frozen and canned sprat were among the important high-protein food products constituting a main food source of Ukrainian soldiers participating in the armed conflict in Ukraine.

The Polish Deputy Minister presented a scientific analysis justifying the proposed solutions, consisting in the introduction of a proper derogation – allowing catches of sprat at a depth of more than 65 m. The amendment to the legislation would allow to maintain the volume of sprat supplies to the market, including supplies to Ukrainian soldiers, and to minimise the financial losses resulting from the actual prohibition on catching pelagic fish with active gear from April to the end of August.

The scientific analysis of the Marine Fisheries Institute was provided to the European Commission along with a written request from the Polish Deputy Minister. Commissioner Sinkevičius declared taking action aimed at sending the Polish scientific data to the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. This is the first step aimed at taking appropriate legal action at a later date.

Restrictions with regard to the 15% ring-fencing

Deputy Minister Jacek Czerniak pointed to the restrictions resulting from the provisions of the Regulation on the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund with regard to the established 15% ring-fencing, inter alia, for measures such as temporary and permanent cessation of fishing activities.

The Polish programme assumes the use of the whole 15% allocation for the measures provided for in Regulation 1139/2021 included in this ring-fencing. The Deputy Minister pointed to the measures of the European Fisheries Fund, which could be launched only after balancing the fleet. The Commissioner indicated the time-consuming procedure for amending the Regulation of the Parliament and Council and to the need to learn the positions of other Member States. The Commissioner also pointed to the complicated political environment resulting from the upcoming European Parliament election and further measures aimed at making institutional changes in the EC.

Prohibition on the use of gillnets in the period between November and January in the area of the Bay of Pomerania

Deputy Minister Czerniak pointed to the need to unify the approach with regard to the protection of porpoises in the Baltic Sea area. In the Commissioner’s opinion, the issue of protection measures for porpoises requires a uniform approach by all Baltic States. Currently, the Baltic States are discussing the scientific assessment of the protection measures for porpoises. As, in the Commissioner’s opinion, the problem of porpoises is a Polish position only, it requires an endorsement from other Baltic states.