Cod stocks in the North Sea are so depleted that fishing must be halted, warned scientists today.

But environmentalists are concerned that EU politicians will ignore the advice of the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) - their own scientific advisors - when they set fishing quotas for 2009.

The scientists also expressed concern that as many cod are being discarded overboard as brought to market.

Willie Mackenzie, oceans campaigner for Greenpeace, said:

"Yet again scientists have stressed that the only way to save decimated cod stocks is not to catch any. Yet politicians continually ignore the experts and, as a result, lead us towards barren oceans and a ruined fishing industry."

"The ridiculous approach at the moment is clearly not working. Cod are being pushed towards extinction while fishermen are forced to chuck back half of their catch because of the farcical quota system. We urgently need to move towards a sustainable fishing industry. And politicians should start by creating large marine reserves in the North Sea."

To see the full advice from ICES, go to http://www.ices.dk/advice/icesadvice.asp.

Greenpeace press office: 020 7865 8255 

Commenting on today's announcement of the EU fishing quotas, which has flown in the face of science by allowing an increase in the amount of North Sea cod which can be caught, Greenpeace oceans campaigner Willie Mackenzie said:

"The EU's own scientists have said that North Sea cod stocks are in such trouble that the quota must be reduced. And yet, by ignoring the scientists and announcing an increase in this quota, these bungling bureaucrats are displaying breathtaking stupidity.

"Today's announcement is disastrous for the fishing industry. The cod quota could literally lead to fishermen fishing themselves out of a job, because these catch levels could see an end to North Sea cod.

"It's clear that these quota decisions have to be taken out of the hands of fisheries ministers if there is to be any chance of real recovery for Europe's decimated fish stocks."

Earlier this week, Greenpeace attempted to shut down the EU Council Building in the heart of Brussels, forcing away dozens of politicians who were due to attend the annual fisheries quota meeting

Almost two hundred Greenpeace volunteers blockaded all the entrances and constructed a 30-metre long wall, which stood over 2-metres high, blocking the main entrance. They sprayed it with the words SHUT DOWN UNTIL FISH STOCKS RECOVER.

For more information, contact the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255.

Annual fish quota talks in disarray

Environmental campaigners have today shut down the EU Council Building in the heart of Brussels, forcing away dozens of politicians who were due to attend the annual fisheries quota meeting.

Almost two hundred Greenpeace volunteers have blockaded all the entrances to the vast structure, preventing fisheries ministers from holding their annual meeting to decide quotas for how much cod and other fish can be caught in European waters next year. If the meeting goes ahead, Greenpeace claim that the ministers will once again impose fishing quotas which are pushing depleted stocks closer towards extinction.

Around fifty of the campaigners have constructed a 30-metre long wall, which will stand over 2-metres high, blocking the main entrance. They have sprayed it with the words SHUT DOWN UNTIL FISH STOCKS RECOVER.

The other entrances are being blocked with metal fences which are weighted down to prevent them being moved.

Anyone who wants to leave the building is being allowed to do so, but Greenpeace insist they will not allow anyone in.

The campaigners fear that, if fishing for species like cod is allowed to continue at the present unsustainable levels, then such fish could be wiped out in the North Sea and other areas. They are calling not only for a halt to unsustainable cod fishing, but also for large areas of the oceans to become protected as ‘marine reserves’.

Politicians across Europe have consistently ignored the advice of their own scientists – the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas – for the last seven years, setting fishing quotas above recommendations. Earlier this year, the European Commission admitted that around 80 per cent of fish stocks are outside ‘known safe biological limits’, meaning they could be heading towards extinction (1), while North Sea cod stocks have been reduced by ninety per cent since the start of the 1970s (2). Yet the UK fisheries minister, Jonathan Shaw, has called for an increase in the amount of cod which can be caught.

Willie Mackenzie, Greenpeace oceans campaigner in Brussels, said:

“Every year, these bungling bureaucrats preside over the decimation of Europe’s fish stocks, ignore the advice of their own scientists and set fishing quotas which will only push species like cod in the North Sea further towards extinction.

“By stopping this meeting, we’re stopping these politicians yet again making a decision which will be bad news for conserving fish stocks and devastating for the fishing industry.

“Fisheries ministers have completely failed to conserve fish stocks, and their responsibilities should be taken from them. Environment ministers must step in to protect cod and defend the oceans, starting by listening to the scientific advice. They must also establish a network of large-scale, fully protected marine reserves.”

For more information, contact the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255.

Notes:

(1) Link.

(2) Cod stocks in the North Sea are at around one-tenth of levels at the start of the 1970s (link).

(3) The European Commission has calculated that catches between 2003 and 2007 were, on average, set about 50 per cent above the scientifically recommended level. (COM (2007) 295).

(4) ICES advice is that a total of 22,000 tonnes of cod can be caught in the North Sea in 2008. Taking into account discards and other removals, this would require the total allowable catch to be set at around 12-15,000 tonnes, approximately half that of 2007.

Responding to news that massive quantities of cod and other fish species in European waters are being discarded because of the fishing quota system, Greenpeace oceans campaigner Oliver Knowles said:

"The quota system has been a disaster for fish stocks, a disaster for fishermen and a disaster for conservation. It's time to abandon this madness and introduce a new approach to fisheries management - one based on controlling the number of days fisherman can spend at sea and introducing large marine reserves which provide fish stocks with the space to recover."

NOTES

Greenpeace proposes a new approach which:

1. Abandons the rigid quota system and replaces it with effort controls to reduce overall days at sea.
2. Makes further reductions in overall fleet capacity.
3. Establishes large scale marine reserves closed to fishing, to provide areas where fish stocks can recover.

Responding to new research from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) which suggests that North Sea cod stocks are beginning to recover, Oliver Knowles, oceans campaigner at Greenpeace said:

"It would a disaster for North Sea cod if the fishing industry took this news as an excuse to return to the devastating fishing levels we've seen in the past. In order to protect cod stocks for the long term, politicians need to act with the greatest possible caution on this new advice."

Knowles continued:

"For years the fishing industry has tried to blame the decline of cod stocks on everything from seals to warming seas, or anything else that avoids the real issue. After several years of a reduced fishing effort what this small recovery clearly demonstrates is that the real cause of the problem is, and always has been, overfishing."

NOTES TO EDITORS

• For the past 7 years ICES has recommended a zero catch for cod in the North Sea, as stocks were too depleted to be able to be fished sustainably.

• After ICES advice has been provided on Friday it will then be up to Europe's Fisheries ministers to set quotas for commercial fish stocks for 2008 - for the past seven years they have ignored the scientific advice and repeatedly set quotas for cod in the North Sea.

• Greenpeace is calling for 40% of the world's oceans to be set aside as Marine Reserves - off-limits to all extractive industry including fishing. Marine Reserves are not only essential to protect marine biodiversity, but also to allow depleted commercial fish stocks like cod to recover so that they can be sustainably fished in other areas.