FishSec is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the protection and restoration of marine ecosystem services, with a focus on fisheries in the Baltic Sea region and the European Union. Our long-term goal is well managed seas with rich biodiversity and thriving fish stocks to secure healthy and local seafood to consumers and a sustainable fishing sector. We advocate for fisheries working within the limits of the marine ecosystem, preserving marine resources as well as their habitats. We are a Sweden-based NGO founded in 2003 by three environmental organisations: The Swedish Society for Nature ..read more

FishSec is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the protection and restoration of marine ecosystem services, with a focus on fisheries in the Baltic Sea region and the European Union. Our long-term goal is well managed seas with rich biodiversity and thriving fish stocks to secure healthy and local seafood to consumers and a sustainable fishing sector. We advocate for fisheries working within the limits of the marine ecosystem, preserving marine resources as well as their habitats. We are a Sweden-based NGO founded in 2003 by three environmental organisations: The Swedish Society for Nature ..read more

Saving the European Eel – best practices   In 2024, the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) is set to agree on long-term management measures for the critically endangered European eel in the region. Our two organizations, MedReAct and FishSec, are committed to the recovery of the European eel population in the Mediterranean and beyond. We will be holding a side event on European eel at GFCM Forum on Fisheries Science in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea (Fish Forum) in Antalya on 22 February 2024. European eel has been listed as Critically Endangered by IUCN since ..read more

In a startling revelation, the Netherlands has publicly acknowledged the likelihood of unchecked fish illegally entering the EU market. The disclosure unfolded as the Hague Administrative Court issued a ruling on the matter. Environmental law organization ClientEarth and the Low Impact Fisheries of Europe (LIFE) took legal action against the Dutch authorities, asserting that lax catch checking procedures had left the door wide open for fish fraud. This claim gained momentum following a newspaper investigation exposing the responsibility of just two individuals in ensuring the legality of the t ..read more

Brussels, 12 December 2023 – Following extensive negotiations, EU fisheries ministers have successfully reached an agreement on fishing opportunities (quotas) for 2024 in the Atlantic, the North Sea, and Skagerrak/Kattegat. While the ministers adhered to scientific advice for sustainable limits concerning most commercially important fish stocks, they once again opted to set limits for certain vulnerable fish populations, potentially placing them at a greater risk of collapse. Negotiations have become increasingly complex since the UK’s departure from the European Union, involving various negot ..read more

Fisheries Council deal: eel fishing closures in EU waters remain but are watered down again, allowing continued fishing for much of the peak migration period for glass eel and possible concessions in the Baltic region. The ban on recreational fisheries in marine waters remain. The decision is taken against stark and clear scientific advice calling for zero catches of all life stages in all habitats and an already agreed provision in the Mediterranean including freshwater. After discussions started on Sunday afternoon, the EU Fisheries Council has finally reached agreement on additional measure ..read more

Yesterday at the Agrifish council meeting, fisheries ministers agreed on the Baltic Sea fishing opportunities for 2024. The Commission proposal, which emphasised the urgent need of precautionary measures for several fish stocks, was downplayed, leaving business as usual as the main outcome.   The most unsettling decisions concerned the Bothnian and Central Baltic herring populations. These stocks have deteriorated recently and ICES models show a very small chance of improvement even if fishing mortality is zero. In such a situation, the Baltic multiannual plan, which is a binding EU regu ..read more

Photo by Payllik Currently there are four management units for herring in the Baltic Sea: the Bothnian herring (SD 30–31), the Central Baltic herring (SD 25–29 and 32, excluding the Gulf of Riga), the Gulf of Riga herring (SD 28.1) and the Western spring spawning herring (SD 20–24) which extends outside the Baltic. Out of four herring stocks in the Baltic Sea three are in great distress, whereas the Riga herring is doing fine and has been stable or even increased over the last two decades. The reasons for this were discussed at a recent Baltic Breakfast hosted by the Baltic Sea Centre, Stockh ..read more

This week, the management of European Eel has been discussed at the 46th Annual Session of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM). The Mediterranean has been forging ahead on eel management in recent years, leading the way compared to the rest of the EU. But the new Recommendation adopted today is somewhat disappointing. It was expected to include further measures on glass eels, but the new requirement is just a punch in the air.   As highlighted by the GFCM Scientific Advisory Committee in June and by last year’s Annual Session, further measures on glass eel are ne ..read more

Stockholm, 8 November, 2023: FishSec are happy to announce that our new project Small Fish – Big Impact has started. This project, generously funded by the Swedish Postcode Lottery, will focus on the small but important fish known as forage fish, the importance of these species in the Baltic Sea and the need to manage these fish through an ecosystem based approach.  Forage fish like sprat and herring are very important for the marine ecosystem, serving as a food source for larger predators including cod and salmon, marine mammals and seabirds. They are also culturally and economical ..read more