Lower Saxony starts Fischeidialog: Future of coastal fishing in view!

Lower Saxony starts Fischeidialog: Future of coastal fishing in view!

The Lower Saxony state government faces the challenge of making the future of fishing on the coast sustainably. In this context, she plans a comprehensive fishing icon with involved from various areas. The dialogue, which is due to start in Wilhelmshaven for the end of April, brings fishermen, conservationists, scientists and representatives of coastal places together. The aim is to develop sustainable solutions for securing fish stocks and the protection of the sea. The need for such an initiative is underlined by the declines in the fishing quantities of crabs, mussels and fresh fish, while the number of active coastal fishermen in Lower Saxony has dropped to 57 companies in 2024, such as Weser-Kurier reported.

The coastal sea extends from the mainland to the East Frisian Islands and ends at the 12-seamile border. It turns out that the fishing areas in the North Sea are due to the expansion of offshore wind farms and stricter requirements for marine nature protection. Current developments at EU level support the desired dialogue. The European Commission recently presented a comprehensive package of proposals for more sustainable fishing and aquaculture, which also emphasizes the need to make fishing more resilient and to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels. EU Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius spoke out for a "pact for fishing and oceans" to protect and strengthen the sea ecosystems, such as germany eu emphasized.

Sustainable fishing policy and environmental protection

The fishing bico in Lower Saxony is part of the coalition agreement between the SPD and the Greens and aims to intensify the support for sustainable coastal fishing. In addition, the implementation of the EU biodiversity strategy, which provides for at least 30% of EU waters by 2030, will be discussed again. The strategy also demands that 10% of these areas are strictly protected. The Wadden Sea National Park already fulfills the 30%goal, but has deficits in the designation of strictly protected areas. At the federal level, the results of the Figure Commission, which are expected at the beginning of April, are to support the dialogue.

In addition, current studies show that sustainable fishing through certifications such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) not only protect the stocks, but also promote stable yields in the long term. An investigation in the international science magazine "Frontiers in Marine Science" shows that MSC-certified fish stocks have healthier sizes and have a lower probability of falling under dangerous levels. This reaffirms the importance of sustainable fishing methods for the protection of fish stocks and the oceanic ecosystems, such as Fisch and Fang

The planned discussion rounds are an important opportunity to discuss the challenges and solutions at the interface of fishing and environmental protection. The conversations could pave a crucial way to a sustainable fishing policy in Lower Saxony, which takes into account both the economic interests of fishermen and the preservation of natural resources.