Baltic Sea fish stocks remain depleted despite EU fishing bans, says MEP Magdalena Adamowicz

European Union officials are reviewing the Common Fisheries Policy after Polish MEP Magdalena Adamowicz warned that the Baltic Sea is "dying" despite strict bans on targeted cod catches. Since 2019 the EU has prohibited directed fishing for eastern cod and, from 2021, for western cod, while also limiting herring catches. The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has continuously recommended zero catches for both cod stocks because their biomass remains too low for recovery. Adamowicz, a member of the Civic Coalition, criticised the current measures as ineffective and called for an ecosystem‑based approach, greater financial support for fishermen, and coordinated action across all Baltic states. The European Commission has launched an assessment of the 2014 fisheries regulation to determine whether it can simultaneously protect fish resources and ensure the economic sustainability of the sector.