On 26–27 October, EU fisheries ministers will negotiate the Baltic Sea’s fishing opportunities for 2027. The decisions ministers will make will set total allowable catches (TACs) and associated fishing rules, with implications for fish populations, coastal communities and recreational anglers.
An unusual appeal to Finland
Ahead of the negotiations, Sportfiskarna, the EAA’s Swedish member, has sent Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo an open letter accompanied by sour fish-shaped sweets.
EAA member Sportfiskarna calls upon Finland to vote in favor of reduced fishing quotas in the Baltic Sea. The organisation urges Finland to support lower Baltic fishing quotas and a permanent ban on trawling along Sweden’s east coast, giving herring and other fish populations a chance to recover.
“The Swedish government has repeatedly failed to reduce the fishing quotas, so now we are turning directly to Finland instead. Even if it is done with a twinkle in the eye, the message is in all seriousness: If we want to have a living sea and be able to continue catching fish in the future, all Baltic Sea countries must contribute,” says Joel Norlin – Sportfiskarna.
Read Sportfiskarna’s article (in Swedish).
Read Sportfiskarna’s letter to Petteri Orpo here (English)
EAA’s priorities for 2027 fishing opportunities
The EAA has adopted positions on western Baltic cod and Baltic salmon for 2027, calling for recreational fishing opportunities to be maintained alongside targeted conservation and management measures.
Beyond the Baltic negotiations, the EAA’s position on sea bass fishing opportunities for 2027 calls for catches that stabilise spawning stock biomass and recognition of recreational angling’s socio-economic benefits when allocating fishing opportunities.
More information
Anglers send sour herring to the Prime Minister of Finland – Anglers
Sea bass – EAA’s position on the 2027 fishing opportunities – EAA Europe
